First Light
by Ouaysis
Summary: A new pack comes to La Push to aide The Pack with a troublesome leech. Only, Sam is far from happy - in fact, he's completely opposed to the idea. But the Council will hear none of it. What will happen? Full summary on profile. *Adopted from Darvia!*
1. New Pack?

**Hey everyone! So here's the first chapter of the story I've adopted from Darvia. She wrote up until chapter five and I mainly just added some bits to them. But after that I wrote the chapters, though she told me the continuation of the storyline. I know I haven't posted a full story on here in ages, so I hope this makes up for it. For those of you who haven't seen my profile (which is probably everyone), I am currently working on a Harry Potter and another Twilight story for here, so look forward to those some time this year. Also, though I doubt this, if you follow me on Fictionpress, I promise I will post a new chapter as soon as I can - I'm having serious issues with my document editor. Anyways, without further ado; here it is! Hope you like it :) I love you all to pieces!**

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 1: New Pack?<p>

**Seth POV**

_I could _totally_ beat you! _Paul continued our argument from earlier that day as we entered the forest, running patrol. He thought he could be me at Ninja Rakui – I was the master.

_I'd like to see you try, man! _I told him with a sneer.

_What? Do you doubt my awesome samurai powers?_ Paul asked, feigning hurt.

_GUYS! Shut _up_!_ Sam's voice boomed through my head. _If I wanted to listen to constant fighting over who would win a video game, I would go over to Jared's house!_

_At least we're not always thinking about Emily._ I told him as ran through a stream to get my fur wet.

_Seth, if you ever thought of Emily he would give you a black eye. _I heard Paul's voice say – and immediately after heard Sam growl.

I laughed. _I would never think about her, dude. She's old! _

_Hey guys,_ Brady said as Paul laughed and before Sam could reply.

_Hey Brady. Time for shift change?_ Paul asked him.

_Yep! _Brady said in a happy voice. He almost reminded me of Jake. When the Cullen's had decided to leave Forks, Jake had gone with them. He just couldn't bear not being near to Nessie. I couldn't really sympathize with him, but I got the general idea. After he left, Leah, Quil, Embry and I had all come back to the Sam's Pack. It just hadn't felt like a pack after Jake left, and I didn't think I could handle being Alpha. I pushed my thoughts aside as I saw a blur of something go past Paul.

_What was that?_ I asked, but already knowing the answer. There was only one thing that could run like that.

_Leech! _Paul shouted, confirming my suspicions._ It just crossed the line into La push!_

_Paul, follow it! It must be the same one that we keep running into. _Sam told him as Brady howled to alert the others.

I started running towards Paul's location, right on the border of La Push territory. We'd had some serious vampire issues lately and we just could not seem to catch this one. As I got closer I saw the vampire up ahead, moving gracefully through the trees without effort. I didn't need to look very hard to know this was the same bloodsucker we'd been chasing around La Push for the past two months. I didn't have time to look longer because just then Sam, Collin, and Quil came up behind me.

_Paul, can you catch up to him? _Sam said as I sped up, trying to get closer to where Paul was, a good fifty feet ahead.

_No. Every time it seems like I'm catching up, he just goes faster like this is some sort of game._ Paul said with disgust and frustration evident in his voice.

And just as Leah, Embry, and Brady came out from behind us the vampire disappeared. None of us could get the scent back, and I suspected he had jumped in the river to purposely make us lose it.

_Where did he go?_ Embry asked, swearing angrily.

_We have to find him! _Sam said angrily. _Leah, Paul, Quil – head up to Forks. See if you can find him there. Everyone else, we need to search La Push. NOW!_

I turned and headed back to La Push, deciding to search near First Beach and along the cliffs. As I ran through the forest I kept replaying the scene over in my head. I just couldn't believe how fast that bloodsucker had disappeared. I'd never seen a vampire that could move that quickly – without us even seeing it leave. I rounded the beach and cliffs a few times before deciding that I wasn't going to find the vampire. Then I turned back and headed toward Sam and Emily's house. As I got closer I phased back and got my shorts on. Then I went through their back gate, almost tripping on the kid toys scattered across the lawn. I pushed open the back door to find nearly half the pack already there.

"Did you find anything, Seth?" Sam asked me as he stood up from where he'd been sitting at the kitchen table.

"Nope, just a bunch of rocks and driftwood," I told him as I grabbed a muffin out of a basket on the counter.

"Great," Sam muttered under his breath, disappointed that no one found anything. "From now on we're going to have four of us out there at all times until we can catch the bloodsucker." He said, rubbing his temples. "Oh, and the council needs to speak with us. So\ as soon as the rest of the pack gets here we need to head over to the Tribal Offices."

_Huh,_ I thought as I walked into the living room and sat on the sofa. _I wonder why the council wants to talk to us? It has to be about the vampire –_

"Seth! Let's go!" I heard Jared yell at me and I hoped up from the couch to leave the house.

We all filed out of Sam and Emily's cozy home and into our cars. I got in the backseat of Embry's car, Quil in the passenger seat and Collin beside me. My mind drifted away from our vampire issues as I started thinking about Sam and Emily and the relationship they had. I hoped that someday I would find someone that meant that much to me. And it wasn't just Sam and Emily; there was Jared and Kim, Paul and Rachel, and even Quil and Claire, even though Quil still thought Claire was too young for a real relationship. Yet, he still loved her in a way I knew no other man ever could….She was truly lucky to have him.

When we got to the Tribal Offices, Sam led the way through the halls. It only took us a few moments to reach the Board Room, where we would meet with the Council. As he pushed open the doors, the Council – made up of Mom, Billy, Old Quil, and several other elders – was sitting near the front of the room. The place reminded me of a court room, and it almost made me feel like I was being judged. The Council all sat behind a long, curved table on a slightly raised platform in padded conference chairs. There were rows of padded metal chairs that parted in the middle of the room, creating an aisle.

"Hello, boys, Leah." My mother said, greeting us warmly as we all began sitting down in the front row of chairs.

"Well, best not beat around the bush," Billy said as he looked at us. "When the new vampire made its appearance here, we were confident that you all could handle this quickly and take care of the threat that is upon us. But as he has continued to appear and we have continued watching, we've all found that this vampire is much smarter then we gave him credit for."

"So," Mom started, "we have decided that since you could not handle this by yourself, we have asked a favor of an old friend. He and his pack are going to come and help you –"

"No!" Sam said abruptly, interrupting my mom. "We can handle this by ourselves! We don't need help from outsiders!"

"Granted," Billy said, still calm as ever. "Whether you do or do not need help, we are bringing them here. Now I know that you don't want them coming in and taking over, and neither do we. That is why we have asked them to help only when the vampire is close."

"Does that sound like something you could work with?" One of the older elders addressed Sam.

Sam looked ready to retort angrily in the negative, but stopped himself and relaxed his body the slightest bit.

"Fine," he finally grumbled under his breath.

"Lovely; thank you, Sam. This Council meeting is now adjourned," my mom said as she and the rest of the Elders started preparing to leave. I was oddly excited about the news. Sam was worried, and I didn't blame him – it was his job to worry – but we'd never met another pack before. This was going to be interesting.


	2. The Bet

**I'll be posting one chapter a day until I post all of the previous chapters, and then I will post once a week, most likely on Mondays. Enjoy! =]**

**~Ouaysis.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: The Bet<p>

**Kali POV**

…_On the seventh day of Christmas my true love gave to me! Seven swans a swimming, six geese a laying… _Tristin sung in his head as we were running – or in his case, flying – through the New Mexico desert.

I am the Alpha of my pack. We are – in general – shape shifters; I have met many of our kind before, varying from packs of dogs, feline packs, and even some birds once in South Africa. We are protectors. But unlike most packs of shape shifters, we do not designate ourselves in one area. Instead, we go where we are needed. And that brings me, and my annoying little problem, back to the New Mexican desert.

…_Three French hens, two turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear treeeee! _He finished, and severely off key.

_Thank you, Tristin. Are you done killing my ears now?_ I asked him as the terrain changed under me, slowly turning into mountains as we passed White Sands National Monument.

_You're welcome, Kali! And no, I'm not done…..Dashing through the snowww! _He sang happily, enjoying his time annoying me.

_Tristin! Shut up! _I thought in irritation and thoroughly annoyed. _If I have to listen to another Christmas song in the middle of May, so help me… _I threatened as I looked up to see him flying about twelve feet ahead and five feet above me. I let out a growl which I knew he would hear.

_Or what? _He challenged. _You gonna grow some wings and come up here to get me?_

_I was considering it. _I said just before he phased back from his eagle form in front of our house.

One thing I forgot to mention – my pack and I, we're not your typical shape shifters. We each have a different form. Obviously, Tristin is an eagle. I myself am just a plain old dog, a mixed breed with black, shaggy fur. An extremely large black dog, but a dog nonetheless. As I phased back Tristin was leaning against a bolder, smirking. Another thing different about our pack is the outfit – our guardian, Jon, experimented with fabrics until he found one that would stay with us while we phased. None of us really knew what it was because Jon refused to tell us. He just called it PHAZE (_very_ creative, I know).

"What?" I asked him, still annoyed with his Christmas Song Parade during our entire run.

"I was just wondering…" He said, his face suddenly becoming serious.

"Yeah?" I asked, motioning for him go on with his sentence.

"Well….would you really grow wings just for me?" He asked me as his smirk returned.

"No." I said bluntly. "But I would definitely consider a beak and claws so I can do some damage to that pretty little face of yours." I told him, jokingly pinching his cheeks.

"You're hilarious, Kali. Absolutely hilarious," he said dryly before walking into the house. Apparently, he hadn't thought my joke was as funny as I had.

The house we lived in whenever we weren't helping others was a beautiful, two-story ranch house. It had a balcony across the entire back of it, and bay style windows in the front. We lived in the Sacramento Mountains so there wasn't much green, just a lot of rocks and dirt that get my fur dirty when I run. It is still beautiful though, and the trees, Aspen, Fir, and other various and diverse species made the view amazing.

I followed Tristin into the house and saw two of my fellow pack members and friends, Lexi and Jason. They were sitting on the leather sofa in the living room, watching some mindless sitcom – if it could even be called watching. They could have been watching a Swedish soap opera, for the amount of "watching" they were doing. Their interest was more in each other's lips. I honestly couldn't blame them though. I had seen over and over what the power Imprinting has on people.

"Ugh! They've been sucking each other's faces off all morning!" Nikki said, coming up behind me. Nikki was one of my best friends. She had joined our family not too long ago, though I had felt an immediate bond with her the first day we met. She was a grey wolf, and a very stubborn one. She and I were the only ones in our little family that hadn't imprinted yet.

"Awe, don't worry Nikki! Soon, you'll find 'The One' and be just like Lexi and Jason over there." I said, motioning my hand over to where they were sitting, still making out.

"Gah, I hope not." She moaned as she walked into the kitchen, out of the eyesight of the living room. "If I do, hit me in the head. _Please_!"

"Sure thing, no problem," I said sarcastically as I got an apple out of the fridge.

"_Thanks_," she said dramatically, grabbing my apple before I had a chance to take a bite.

"Nikki!" I said, ready to protest when she cut me off.

"Sorry, but I need to keep my strength up." She grinned as she took another bite of _my_ apple. "Besides, Jon's having another family meeting and you know how I hate those things."

Jon was Tristin's dad, and much like a father to all of us. He had always looked out for us even when we thought we didn't need it, and he'd given us whatever help we needed without compliant.

"Well that's probably because you're always the cause of them." I told her pointedly.

Nikki just rolled her eyes and took another bite, starting to look through the fridge for _more_ food.

"So how was your run?" She asked me while she rummaged through the drawers, shoving things aside.

"It was good. But I have a theory." I told her, leaning up against the counter. "What if girl shape shifters can only imprint on another shape shifter?"

"I dunno…." Nikki said, unsure, now standing up straight to look at me.

"Oh, come on Nikki! Think about it! Lexi and Jason? Tristin and Alexis?" I said, pointing them out.

Tristin Imprinted on a nice girl named Alexis when we were helping a pack in Florida. And when Alex saw him, she Imprinted on him as well. The pack Alex had been in was a mostly feline pack, and Alex is a ring-tailed cat.

I don't know Lexi and Jason's story as well as I'd like to, but Jason and Lexi joined our family together. From what I've pieced together, Jason found Lexi in her animal form – an ocelot – dying on the forest floor somewhere near Ontario. Jason had dragged her in his own form, a black panther, to his cabin in the woods not far from where he had found her.

"Well, since you're so convinced of that, care to make a little bet?" Nikki said, smirking.

"Sure…Twenty bucks?" I asked, tapping my fingers on the counter.

"Nah, let's make this a little interesting, shall we?" She said, rubbing her hands together evilly. "Loser has to do anything the winner wants _and_ pay twenty bucks."

"Deal," I said, sticking my hand out.

"Perfect." She grinned and shook my hand.

"Everyone in the Living room, now!" I heard Jon's voice echo into the kitchen. As I walked over to the living room once more, I saw Lexi and Jason quietly sitting on the couch looking innocent from their previous actions. As I took my seat Tristin and Alex came down the stairs hand-in-hand. As soon as everyone was settled, Jon stood up to speak.

"Well, I received a call from an old friend today and he has a little vampire problem. He and the Council would like us to go help their pack." Jon said in an authoritative voice.

"Awesome, so we're going to be moving again?" Jason asked excitedly. We all enjoyed crossing the country and even the world, seeing all the sights and different landscapes.

"Yes, we're moving. Actually, we're going somewhere almost completely opposite of here. Washington." He said smiling at us.

"Cool! Like, Washington D.C.?" Tristin asked excitedly.

"No…Washington state" Jon said, as Tristin's face fell to an uneven frown.

"Isn't there a lot of rain there….?" Tristin asked, his expression thoughtful.

"No, Tristin. There's no rain there! Rainbows and unicorns come out of the sky!" Nikki said, sarcastically rolling her eyes.

"Why are you so worried about the rain?" Lexi asked, amused by Nikki's joke.

"Um, well…I mean…What if I get hit by lightning when I'm flying?" He said biting his lip.

"Tristin, you shouldn't get hit by lightning if you try to keep below the tree tops." I told him reassuringly. "You've flown in rain plenty of times before."

"So, when are we leaving?" Alex asked before Tristin could comment on the subject any more. "I can't wait to meet them!"

"Well…that's just the thing." Jon said, folding his arms over his chest. "The Alpha is a little put off by the idea of us coming in and helping…."

"Oh, that could be a problem if they don't want us there." Lexi said, her expression worried.

"Don't worry about it Lex, we're going to be living in a town near their reservation. A place called Forks. We're just going to be there so when the vampire shows we can help them out." Jon said before sitting back down next to Alex.

"Alright, well we better start packing if we want to be out of here soon." I said, standing up. An eager Jason popped up from his seat as well. I had never worked with a pack that didn't willingly want us there. This was going to be tricky….


	3. Of Frozen Vegetables

**Next chapter! =] Look for four tomorrow sometime! **

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 3: Of Frozen Vegetables.<p>

**Kali POV**

Washington was pretty straightforward when it came to the weather. Since we landed in Seattle three hours ago, the only thing close to landscape I'd seen was a blur of green through all the rain. I'm not even sure if there was any type of solid ground around here, and if there was I definitely couldn't see it. I knew we must have been getting closer to the small town we were headed to, because all the signs of wildlife were fading away.

"Are we there yet?" Tristin moaned from the passenger seat for what seemed like the millionth time. Today was officially the worst day of my life. I didn't know if everyone was trying to be funny or just didn't want to ride with him either, but they had all squished into Jon's Highlander while I got stuck driving the three-and-a-half hour trip with Tristin – the _one_ person in the entire world who could annoy me to no end. Alexis was the only one to brave it with me, but she had maddeningly fallen asleep an hour ago.

"No," I said dryly. "Can you please do something to occupy yourself until we get there…..Please?"

"Will you play a game with me?" He asked excitedly. Did that boy not just hear what I said to him?

"Ugh, no!" I said exasperatedly, hitting my head on the steering wheel before focusing back on the road. Why did they leave me with him?

"Fine, I guess I'll just keep myself occupied singing…" He said, evilly glancing my way.

_Now, this is a story all about how  
>My life got flipped; turned upside down<br>And I'd like to take a minute,  
>Just sit right there –<em>

"Stop! What do you want to play?" I asked reluctantly, but it was worth it if he stopped singing. I had no offence to him; he had a great voice. He just could not hold a note to save his life.

"I Spy!" He said happily, pressing his head against the window, looking for something to 'spy.'

"What in the world are you hoping to see out there, Tristin? It's all trees!" I asked him, annoyed.

"I don't know…..Something." He said, his head still pressed against the window. "Ispysomethingshiny!"

"What?" I asked, not catching a word he said.

"I spy something shiny," he said slowly. I was about to retort again that we were driving through trees and forest, but then I saw the 'shiny' object coming into view. It was more of a building then an object though. _It must be Forks_. I know I should have been happy, and 'take in the sight of it' as Lexi put it every time we moved to a new town. But the only thing I was capable of doing was mouthing a silent "thank you" to myself as Tristin stopped talking and watched as we passed by buildings. I followed Jon as he turned off onto a road with houses lined up next to each other. Jon started to slow down as we came up to a beautiful Victorian style two-story house. I started at it in awe as I quickly parked my car behind Jon's.

"This is so beautiful," I murmured to myself as I stepped out of my car and slammed the door behind me.

"Alright everyone, the movers already put your things in the rooms, so you just have to find which rooms they put them in." Jon said, clapping his hands together once before walking up the front steps. It was crazy to think that it's only been two days since Jon's announcement. Privacy was very sacred in our house, especially with two imprinted couples. We all ran into the house in search of our appropriate rooms. Tristin and Alex headed upstairs while Lexi and Jason kept to the ground floor.

"I'm gonna head upstairs and look for my room. Want to come?" I asked Nikki, turning around to see her come through the door with a big duffel bag.

"Nope." She said, dropping the duffel by her feet. "I need to go find the kitchen. I am starved." Nikki hurriedly made her way down the hall looking in each door as she went.

"Nikki! You just ate two hours ago in Port Angeles!" I called after her. But it was useless; she was already in 'search mode' as everyone has started to call it. When she was looking for something of the utmost importance to her, nothing else mattered. Granted, it was mostly food that was important.

I started climbing the stairs to the second floor, admiring the intricate carvings in the wood as I ran my hands against them in an effort to memorize what kind of pattern they were using. When I got to the second floor landing I made my way down the hall, looking into the rooms as I went. The first door I found was just a linen closet. The second door however, I found Tristin and Alex's bedroom. They had already settled in apparently because they were already asleep on the bed wrapped in each other arms. I kept walking all the way down the hall to the last open door. As I pushed it open the rest of the way I found my room. It was beautiful. My bed was in the middle of the room, covered with white and blue sheets. My couch was pushed up against the wall opposite of my bed and covered with black and white pillows. I didn't have a chance to look at my bathroom or closet because at that moment, I heard a loud high-pitched scream come from downstairs. I bolted back down the hallway and then the stairs as fast as possible and ran through the house as I found the source of the scream.

"What's wrong?" I asked as I pushed open the door revealing the kitchen. There was Nikki, standing in the middle of the kitchen like she had just seen a ghost.

"There. Is. No. Food!" She said, horrified, looking into the empty cabinets in front of her frantically.

"What happened?" Jon asked worriedly, coming in from the door behind me, carrying a huge box that had 'Jonathan's Items' written in big bold letters.

"Ugh, nothing." I said with a roll of my eyes as Nikki still stood there staring at the cabinets as though something would appear if she stood there long enough. "We just need to go shopping."

"Alright, well could you go?" Jon asked glancing over at Nikki, who was still stone solid in the middle of the kitchen. "We are going to finish getting the rest of the things from the car."

"Yeah, that I can do." I answered, smiling as I took my keys from my pocket and headed outside to my white Mercedes.

"Hey! Kali!" Jason yelled as he ran out of the house and came up to me. I kept walking towards my car as he fell in to step beside me. "Jon said you were going to the store, mind if I come with you?'

"Sure, I could always use some company." I said happily as I unlocked my car and got in the driver's seat. He quickly got in the passenger seat and I turned on the car, backing out of the driveway.

As we rode the short distance to the store that I had seen on our way in, Jason started to fiddle with the radio. After a few minutes he found a station that had The Fray playing and left it on that. Jason was always good to be around. He was the 'clown' in the family, I guess you could say. But he knew when to mellow out and just be quite….unlike _some_ people. After a few minutes I saw the store coming into view. I pulled into the parking lot, looking around at the few cars that were there.

"It's pretty empty, huh?" Jason said opening his door as I came to a stop.

"Yeah, but it's small town….it's probably always like this." I told him, stepping out of the car and walking with him to the entrance of the store.

"So what do you think of this place so far?" Jason asked me as he went to go get a shopping cart from the side of the store.

"Well…..It's definitely wet." I said, causing Jason to chuckle and shake his head at my obvious response. "But all-in-all, I think we'll all really like it here."

"Me too," he agreed with a nod as we made are way down the first aisle.

Half an hour into our shopping trip, we realized that it was going to take more than one cart to fit all the food we needed in the house. So we split up and each started at a different end of the store. As I walked down the frozen section, looking for some ice creams, I heard loud, deep laughs coming from the end of the aisle. I turned around to see what was going on….and that's when I saw him. Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome – literally.

He was the most attractive guy I had seen in a long time and was _extremely_ handsome. He had short-cropped hair, and was about six-feet tall. His copper-toned skin and bright, contagious smile called to me. He and his friends were all wearing cut-off shorts and grey tank tops and I could see his strong muscles rippling in his arms and chest. Everything about him seemed perfect. Just then he turned his face me completely; his smile faded a bit as he looked at me. Every time I tried to look away, his gaze held mine. I heard his friends calling him, but he was just as still as I was, not breaking our gaze. I stared into his nearly-black eyes and he stared into my own green ones. In that moment, I knew I didn't want anyone but him. Which was absurd, because I didn't even know the guy's name!

I finally got the courage to go over and talk to him. But just as I took my first step I felt something cold and wet hit the back of my neck. I quickly looked behind me and saw Jason smirking, holding a bag of frozen carrots.

"Jason!" I yelled at him, wiping my neck with the back of my hand. I looked down at the floor and saw a bag of frozen peas lying on the ground in front of me. I picked it up and threw it back at him. He deflected it with his arm, but I saw him wince and grinned in success.

"Funny, very funny." I mumbled as I turned around to find something wipe my hands on. Instead I come face to face with Mr. Tall-Dark-And-Handsome. Okay, so maybe it was more like face-to-chin, but that's not the point.

"Oh, uh…Hi…" I said, looking down trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Hey." He said, taking a step back, probably thinking I was uncomfortable with his closeness. "You okay?'

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine." I answered him with a smile. _That is so sweet! _I thought with a mental squeal. _He's checking to see if I'm okay!_ For a moment we stood there in silence, but then he broke it.

"I'm Seth," he said as he held out his hand.

"Kali," I said, wiping my hand on my jeans before taking his hand and lightly shaking it. "It's nice to meet you, Seth."

"You too, Kali." He said with a smile.

"So are you new here?" Seth asked, sticking his hands awkwardly in his pockets.

"Uh….yeah. We just moved her from New Mexico." I said, quickly turning and rummaging through my purse to avoid his piercing gaze. My heart was racing in my chest and I suddenly felt nervous. After a few moments I gave up the façade and looked up at him again, only to see him still smiling down at me.

"Oh, I'm sorry," he said abruptly, his gaze locked on something behind me. "I should let you get back to your boyfriend."

I frowned. _Boyfriend?…..I don't have a – Jason! He thinks Jason is my boyfriend! _I made a face before I could stop myself.

"Jason's not my boyfriend." I said quickly with wide eyes.

"Oh, I just thought since…well, never mind." He said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "But I should go anyways. I'm sure you need to get back to shopping as well."

"Oh, yeah….that… Yes, probably," I said with a nervous laugh. I looked over my shoulder to see Jason pretending to fall asleep and then snapping his head up smirking at me. I really didn't want to leave, especially if it meant getting drilled by Jason. But I knew I had no choice. I sighed.

"Alright, well, hopefully I'll see you around." Seth said smiling at me again.

"Most definitely," I said waving at him as he turned around and walked back to his friends. I watched, but pretended not to. One of them looked a little annoyed, but the other grinned at him and clapped him on the back, inclining his head at me.

"Kali!" Jason yelled at me as he motioned with his hand for me to go over to him. And so I did. Even though all I wanted to do was talk to Seth more. And maybe kiss him. As I pushed the cart back towards Jason I tried imaging what that would be like.

"What?" I asked casually, walking past him towards the checkout.

"Kali!" He said sternly, coming up behind me pushing his fully loaded cart as fast as it would go. "What just happened?"

"What do you think just happened, Jason?" I asked him playfully, rolling my eyes; I smiled at him as I started to load the content of my cart on the small conveyer belt. The cashier looked insanely bored and I felt a little sorry for him.

"Did you just Imprint?" He whispered gleefully, looking at me happily when out of nowhere he grabbed me and hugged me tightly. Jason wasn't exactly a hugging type of guy, so I knew that he must have been happy for me for him to actually hug me. And in public too!

Right as Jason had let go of me, I saw Seth walking out of the store deep in conversation with one of the guys I saw with him earlier. They quickly got into a black Toyota truck that was parked right next to my car. I watched as they pulled out of the parking lot and onto the main road, driving out of sight. I sighed. When would I see him again?

"Ready to go, Kali?" Jason asked, me waving his hand in front of my face. I must have been staring at the road longer than I had thought, because Jason already had both carts loaded up with the groceries and was ready to leave.

"I'm ready," I said happily. I was eager to get home and tell Nikki, Lexi, and Alex what had happened.

I took back what I had thought this morning; today was the _best_ day of my life! I nearly giggled as I raced Jason to the car – loser had to load and unload the car. I laughed when I beat him and got into the driver's seat, locking the doors so that he couldn't get in until he was finished loading all of the bags into the trunk. Once he was done I let him in beside me and he punched me in the arm.

"Hey!" I protested as I started the car.

"Imprinting does not give you free reign of torture!" He complained and I laughed.

"Nope….but being Alpha does!" He made a face and pretended to be angry in the seat beside me. But we both knew he wasn't really mad – he was too happy that I'd finally found my soul mate. And for that matter, so was I.


	4. Salisbury and Awkward Moments

**Next chapter! Five will be up tomorrow, then I will start on the new ones Monday. I know I've said that like three times already, but I just want you to know. Enjoy!**

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 4: Salisbury and Awkward Moments.<p>

**Seth POV**

Sam's mood was increasingly getting worse as we waited for the new pack to arrive. According to Billy, they were going to be coming in sometime this week. Quil, Embry, and I were about the only ones excited about the whole 'new pack' thing. And I'll admit it, we do need help. Sam was the only one completely against it, but the others were all weary. No one had ever come on to our territory before without looking for a fight.

"Hey Seth!" Jared yelled at me as he walked into the living room holding his truck keys. "We need to go get some food for Emily."

"Alright, no need to get your boxers in a wad." I teased, getting up and dodging his punch as I headed towards the door, where Quil was waiting for us. He was just in a bad mood because Kim was mad at him. He'd be happier tomorrow, when Kim forgave him like she always did. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. I honestly hoped I didn't act like that when or _if_ I Imprinted.

"We'll be back in half an hour!" Quil informed Emily and Sam as he closed the door to the house and we walked over to the truck.

"All right, let's go." Jared said, getting in his truck and sticking the key in the engine. Quil got in the front seat with Jared, leaving me the back seat. I didn't mind though – Quil could sit with Mr. Grumpy.

"You okay, Seth?" Quil asked me as Jared was pulling out of the driveway. "You seem kinda quite lately."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just thinking about this pack that's coming in." I answered him, looking out the window and watching the trees go by in a blur.

"Yeah, I have too." Quil said quietly. "But if they can help us out, I'm all for it. That leech's time is up!"

"Quil's right, I just think it's harder for others to accept." Jared said a smile tugging at his lips as he spoke. Okay, so maybe Jared was a little excited too.

"'Others' being Sam?" I asked, raising my eyebrows at him and smirking.

"Exactly." Jared said. He started slowing down as we entered Forks and all the buildings began to be visible through the trees.

"Ah, don't worry about him. It's in his blood to worry," Quil said, leaning forward and turning the radio on, which started blasting _Hollaback_ _Girl_. "What we should be worrying about is why Jared is listening to Gwen Stefani."

"Kim put it on there when I took her out last night." Jared muttered with a scowl, staring at the road. "Change it if you don't like it!"

Quil held his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright. Chillax, bro."

I grinned as Quil changed it to a station playing alternative. "How's Claire?" I asked.

"Ugh..." Quil moaned, putting his face into his hands.

"That bad?" Jared asked, stopping his sulking long enough to sound sympathetic.

"It's just...She's into this awful guy named Nate." Quil said, sneering as he said the kid's name.

"Come on Quil, you had to know this was going to happen as she grew up." Jared said, looking tensely at him.

"Yeah, I guess. But I just want to punch him in the face. I mean, every time he's near her he's staring at her inappropriately and sending her suggestive glances." He explained, balling his hands into fists. "It's disgusting."

I leaned forward and put a hand on his shoulder. "She's sixteen and in high school. What do you expect from them?"

"_We_ didn't act like that when we were in school," Quil complained. I laughed.

"Yeah, that's cuz we were too busy making googly eyes at vampires and the thought of ripping them apart."

He laughed and even Jared smiled a little.

"I suppose you're right. It's just hard." He said with a sigh.

"The time will come," Jared said sympathetically.

"I just wish it would come _faster_." Quil grumbled as Jared pulled into the Forks grocery store.

Quil suddenly whistled as Jared pulled into a parking space. "Dude, check out that sweet car!"

I turned to the right to see a white Mercedes parked next us. Quil climbed over the seats and nearly kicked me in the face. Then he climbed over me and pressed his face to the window in some sort of effort to get close to the car.

"Dude," Jared said imitating Quil's voice. "Get your face off of my window before I make sure you never see the car again. Or anything, for that matter." He whacked the back of Quil's head before getting out of the truck.

"Whatever, man. That is an awesome car," Quil said with a grin. I opened my door, where Quil's face was still pressed up against the window and he fell half out before righting himself and climbing the rest of the way over me to get out.

"Sorry Quil," I said. "You're like a brother to me, but not even brothers should get that close."

He rolled his eyes and punched me in the arm as we walked into the store. A blast of cold air hit me as the doors opened and Quil quickly went over to the candy section, looking intently for something as he scanned the shelves. I figured he was looking for the super pack of Crunch bars, Claire's favorite.

"Here's Emily's list," Jared said, showing me the paper that had been ripped off of a pad, filled with small, neat handwriting.

"I'll take half if you two take the other half." I told him as I watched Quil come back with a few bags of candy and (was I right, or was I right?) a super pack of Crunch bars and put them all in a small basket.

"Deal," Jared said as he ripped the list into two halves and giving one of them.

As Quil and Jared walked towards the refrigerated and frozen section, I looked down my half of list and decided to start with the flour at the top. When I reached the aisle with the last item, spaghetti noodles, I saw a guy standing next to the wheat flour, running his hand through his hair and looking frustrated.

"...I told you babe, they don't have it...Yes, I'm sure!...okay...love you too, bye." The guy said, hanging up his phone shaking his head.

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could find some gluten-free pasta, would you?" He asked me when he realized he was no longer alone.

"Nope, sorry….no idea," I said as I threw some flour in my basket.

"Well, I guess my girlfriend is just gonna have to go without her Tofu and health shakes." He said, making a face and pretending to gag.

"Sorry I can't help. You seem really disappointed." I said sarcastically. I liked this guy. He was easy to joke with. I couldn't remember ever seeing him around and wondered if he was new around town.

"Totally. What will I do without my healthy choices?" He said, rolling his eyes as he smirked. "I guess I'll just have to stock up on Cheetos and pizza rolls while I have the chance."

We both laughed and then I heard a noise coming from the end of the aisle. I turned to see Quil.

"_Pssssst!"_ He said, gesturing for me to join him.

"Uh, I have to go." I told the guy." It was nice talking to you."

"You too," he said with a smile and distracted wave as he before turned back to scanning the shelves.

"Hey," Quil said happily coming up behind me.

"What's up?" I asked him.

"I need some help finding something." He said rubbing the back of his neck laughing. "They're called 'Sals berries'"

"Sals berries?" I asked quizzically as I furrowed my eyebrows.

"Yeah, it's on the list." He said shoving the list towards me. I took it and scanned the items on the list.

_**Artichokes**_

_**Milk**_

_**Apples**_

_**Salisbury S.**_

_**Potatoes**_

"Quil, this says Salisbury S. as in the steak, not Sals berries." I said, rolling my eyes and throwing the list back at him.

"Oh…well where is it?" He asked. I didn't even think it had fazed him that he'd completely had the product wrong.

"It's most likely in the freezer section." I told him as I turned around. Just before I could walk into the next aisle Jared called my name and walked up behind me.

"Hey, did Quil go and ask you where to find Sals Berries?" He said, biting his lip I assume to stop his laughter.

"Yeah, he did. Did he ask you too?" I asked in amusement.

"Yeah, I told him it was in the fruit section." Jared couldn't hold his laughter anymore because he burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. I started laughing along and we both had to make an effort to calm down.

"Alright man, I've got to go everything except the 'Sals berries,' and I think Quil's got that covered. You ready?" We both chuckled and I nodded. Just then Quil joined us, holding up the box of Salisbury Steak.

"The fruit section, really Jared?" He asked, whacking Jared with the box before dropping it into the basket.

I shook my head trying, to not laugh. When I finally looked up I saw a girl looking at me and I couldn't help but stare back. She was easily the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. She had long brown hair and bright green eyes. I judged her height to about 5'6" from where I was standing. She looked like she was about to take a step towards me when a bag hit the back of her neck. I looked behind her and saw the guy from earlier shaking with laughter.

"Jason!" She turned and then yelled at him, grabbing the bag and chucking it at him.

_Dang, she has a good arm!_ I thought to myself as I walked over to make sure she was okay.

"Funny, very funny." She mumbled to herself as she turned back around and came face-to-face with me.

"Oh, um... Hi." She said shyly, looking down at her feet.

_You're too close idiot! Step back!_ I mentally scolded myself.

"Are you okay?" I asked in concern, taking a step back from her.

"Oh! Yeah, I'm fine," she said, smiling at me now. Her smile was absolutely breath taking. Suddenly, I felt like nothing else mattered in the world. The only thing that matter was the beautiful girl in front of me. I had to know her name.

"I'm Seth," I said, offering her my hand.

"Kali," she said as she wiped a hand on her jeans and then took my hand, shaking it. As she did a light pink brushed her cheeks, adding to her appeal.

"Are you new here?" I asked curiously. I was almost positive I had never seen her around; I definitely would have remembered if I had. But I thought I'd check, just in case.

"Yes, actually. We just moved here from New Mexico." Kali said happily. She quickly started to dig through her purse for something.

_We?_ I thought to myself_ ...Oh man! That guy Jason must be her boyfriend..._

"I'm sorry, I should let you get back to your boyfriend." It killed me to say it, but I knew I would do anything for Kali as long as it made her happy.

"Jason's not my boyfriend." She said quickly, her eyes wide. Relief washed through me as my body immediately relaxed.

"Oh, I just thought since…well, never mind." I said, rubbing the back of my head awkwardly. So did that mean she was single? I resisted the urge to ask. Instead I said, "I should go anyways. I'm sure you need to get back to shopping as well."

"Oh, yeah….that….Yes, probably," she said with a nervous laugh, looking over her shoulder.

"Alright, well, hopefully I'll see you around." I said with a smile.

"Most definitely," she agreed.

When I turned back towards Jared and Quil, they both looked anxious. Jared also looked annoyed but Quil grinned at me and clapped me on the back.

"Seth, we need to get back to La Push." Jared said urgently once I was in earshot.

"Why? What's happened?" I asked as Jared started towards to the cashier.

"Sam was running patrol with Embry and Leah when they saw the new pack." Jared explained in a hushed tone. I didn't know why though, the store was pretty empty.

"Okay, but I don't see what the new pack has to do with anything." I said, yanking my arm out of his grip and walking normally next to him.

"When Sam saw the new pack, they were just sitting there watching the bloodsucker!" He said in annoyance as Quil tried to hurry the cashier, who just glared at him and thankfully ignored Jared and me.

"Wait! Didn't they try and help? At all?" I asked, disgusted.

"No. Nothing at all!" He said, opening the door to the truck and climbing in. I followed suit and opened the passenger door, sliding in next to Quil.

"Don't know why they're here if they're not going to help us." Jared said under his breath. He put the key in the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot while I watched the store slip out of view.


	5. Evil Soap

**Chapter five is here! Just as promised =] Enjoy!**

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 5: Evil Soap<p>

**Kali POV**

It had been almost one day since I'd meet Seth at the store. I was getting a little antsy and Nikki was getting more annoyed by the minute. She was currently shooting glances at me from across the room as I bounced up and down on my bed. I heard her huff before she finally left. After Jason and I had gotten back from the store, I told everyone what had happened and it turned out they had some pretty interesting news too.

_"Honey! I'm homeeee!" Jason called out as we arrived from the store. I followed Jason into the house, and had actually taken a bag out of pity. But I made him go back and get the rest as I started to put the refrigerated and frozen things away._

_"Where the heck did everyone go?" I asked Jason once we were done filling the cabinets the refrigerator-freezer._

_"Outside?" Jason offered with a shrug, pointing towards the forest in the backyard. We both headed outside, listening for any sign of noise. I finally heard Alex's voice as we walked deeper into the thick trees._

_"Hear that?" I asked Jason, nodding my head to where Alex's voice had come from._

_"Yeah…Let's go!" He said and we both took off on foot in the direction of her voice. We ran for a minute or so before we came to a small clearing with a creek flowing like a watery snake on the left side. As we walked closer to the creek I spotted Nikki, Alex, Lexi, and Tristin sitting on some boulders, all talking to Jon._

_"Hey guys!" Nikki said, noticing us first. She got up and ran over to us. "Did you get food?"_

_"Yeah, it's in the house." Jason said as he went to sit next to Lexi. "But Kali got a bit more then food from the store."_

_"Tell me later, Kali!" Nikki yelled as she ran back to the house. I sent Jason a death glare and went to go sit in Nikki's spot._

_"You might be able to tell Nikki later, but we want to know now!" Alex said, grinning excitedly with Tristin's arms wrapped around her._

_"Uh, well….you know…." I mumbled, not knowing how to explain that I had Imprinted._

_"Come on, Kali, spit it out!" Jason teased. I glared at him; he was obviously enjoying my embarrassment._

_I fiddled with a loose string on my pants for a few minutes. I was excited about it, but for some reason I was nervous as well._

"_Kali, seriously! If you don't tell them I will." Jason threatened. _

"_Alright, alright! I….uh….sort of Imprinted." _

_"What?" Alex and Lexi said in unison before running over to me and hugging me._

"_That's awesome!" Lexi exclaimed with another hug. I laughed and hugged her back. _

"_I know!"_

_"Group hug!" Tristin yelled before running over and wrapping his arms around all of us. Lexi and Alex quickly ducked out his arms, leaving Tristin's arm around me alone. Before I could escape he lifted me up and swung me around. _

_"Alright, put her down." Jon said calmly. Tristin stopped spinning me and put me down next to Lexi and Alex. Then Jon smiled at me. _

"_I'm happy for you, Kali. You'll have to tell us more about him later." _

_I smiled and nodded. Something was up, but what? He seemed distracted._

_"What's wrong?" I asked immediately. Just then Nikki returned to our group, holding a bag of lime flavored potato chips in one hand and the other inside it._

_"Tristin," Jon said, motioning with his arm to start talking. I looked over towards Tristin and waited for him to explain._

_"While we were waiting for you two to get back from the store, we got bored." Tristin said, sitting back down. "So we decided to take a run and see if we could find the vampire."_

_"Did you find him?" I asked quizzically._

_He held up a finger to silence me. "Yes, we found him. He was by the river, looking at his reflection."_

_"Newborn?" I questioned him as I raised my eyebrows._

_"I don't think so." Tristin said looking over towards Alex, who nodded at him, encouraging him to continue. "...when we saw him we stayed back far enough so he wouldn't see us, so that we could observe him."_

_"Like we normally do," I stated with a nod, not knowing where he was going with this._

_"Yeah, well we had been there maybe five minutes or so, when all the sudden the La Push pack come running past us and towards the vampire, chasing it away." Tristin explained, his tone clearly frustrated._

_"Wait, so you saw the pack?" I asked in shock, my mouth hanging open._

_"Yeah, and they looked really pissed too….well, as pissed as you can look as a gigantic wolf." Lexi added as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger. She was a pretty laid back person since she ate all health food and did Aqua Chi all the time. But right now, I could see the tenseness in her eyes._

"_Gigantic?" I repeated. "They can't be that big can they? Aren't they a normal wolf size?"_

_Tristin shook his head. "Nope. Try more like horse-sized."_

_My mouth dropped open again. Holy crap!_

_"Look," Jon said, standing up and dusting the dirt off the back of his pants. "There's nothing we can do about it. We can't change the way they think about us. Now, for the time being, I'm going to the reservation to see if I can arrange a meeting with the pack."_

And, as always, Jon was right. We couldn't do anything about their opinion on us. We just had to focus on the problem at hand and hope for the best.

After everyone had gone back to the house, Jon left to go to the reservation and to speak with the pack. And…..well, let's just say things didn't go as planned. The two guys he was able to locate told Jon that they refused to speak with him and that if he needed something he could talk to the Council. Then they threw a framed picture at him and told him to leave. But on the bright side, we have a picture of three of the pack members.

"Hey Kali?" Tristin asked as he knocked on my door frame."Jason and I are going to the Laundromat since our washer and dryer aren't connected yet. Wanna come?"

"I guess I should," I said with a sigh and got off my bed. I was afraid to leave everyone's laundry alone with those two. Who knows what kind of prank Tristin and Jason would pull if left to their own devices.

"Come on," Tristin said, ushering me out of my room and down the hallway. As we made our way downstairs, Jason was waiting by the door with a full duffle bag of what I figured was everyone's clothes.

"Ready?" He asked me as he handed off the bag to Tristin.

"Yup," I said, opening the door for Tristin as he carried the bag to my Mercedes and tossed it in the back seat.

"I'm driving!" Tristin announced just as I was getting my keys out. Jason and I both knew he wasn't exactly the best driver.

"Oh, come on!" Tristin said after seeing our reaction. "I never get to drive!"

"Yeah, and there's a reason for that." Jason said jokingly, though I heard the serious edge there. We shared a look while Tristin pouted.

"Pleeeaasseee!" He demanded. Finally I sighed.

"All right, fine..." I agreed uneasily as he took the keys from me with a grin and got in the driver seat. I glanced at Jason before throwing myself in the only available seat in the back since the duffle bag took up the other two. Jason gave me the Evil Eye before walking around the other side of the car and getting in the passenger seat. I quickly buckled up and made sure I was secure before I even allowed Tristin to stick the keys in the ignition. I leaned my head back as I felt Tristin backing out of the driveway. I let my mind wander to miscellaneous things and then two minutes later I felt the car stop suddenly. My head shot up and I found that we were already at the Laundromat.

"Oh my gosh!" I said as I glanced back from the way we just came. "We drove one block to get here? Why didn't we just walk?"

"I told you, I wanted to drive!" Tristin said as if it was obvious before getting out and entering the Laundromat. Jason laughed at my expression as he got out and then grabbed the bag, carrying it inside. I was ready to stay out here the entire time just to teach them a lesson. But as I sat there and looked around, I saw the black truck that Seth and his friends had been in yesterday over to my left and. I smiled before getting out and walking into the building. When I walked through the door I was greeted with the strong smell of soap. Scanning the room, I found Jason and Tristin near the far right side talking over a box of detergent.

"Hey guys," I said, startling them out of their conversation.

"Hey Kali, what took you so long?" Jason asked smugly. I just stuck my tongue out at him, trying and failing at suppressing a smile.

"I feel like I'm missing something." Tristin said.

"Okay, see that guy over there?" Jason asked, pointing toward Seth, who was standing with a lady who looked in her mid-fifties. "That's the guy Kali Imprinted on."

"Seriously?" Tristin asked me, stunned. I just nodded while Tristin smiled at me.

"Yeah, I'd say they're pretty smit –" Jason was cut off mid-sentence when he stepped back and slipped on some liquid soap that had been spilt on the floor. His legs came out from under him and hit Tristin, who stumbled backwards and was dragged down along with Jason in the process. I burst out laughing when they hit the ground.

"Aw, come on Kali," Jason complained, trying to get up but falling back down because of all the soap."Help us up, please?"

"All right...one...second…" I said between my bursts of laughter. Once I finally stopped laughing, I offered both of my hands down to them. They each took one of my hands and before I could comprehend what they were doing, they had pulled me down next to them.

"Now what were you laughing about again?" Tristin asked, smirking at me. I stuck my tongue out at them before pushing myself up effortlessly off the floor.

"Seriously Kali, we need help up!" Tristin said, waving his hands in the air.

"Help yourselves up." I said, sticking my tongue out once more before walking away from them.

"Kali?" I heard someone call my name and I immediately turned to the sound of their voice. Seth was leaning up against some washers, watching me.

"Oh! Hey, Seth." I said, smiling at him. I walked over to where he was and pushed myself up onto the washer opposite him.

"What's up?" He asked, smiling and pushing himself up onto the washer he'd been leaning on.

"Oh, you know. The usual," I said, pointing behind him to where Tristin and Jason were still attempting to get up.

"Yeah, that happens a lot." Seth said, laughing as Jason slipped again.

"You'd think they would put sign up warning sign about that kinda thing." I said, watching as Jason and Tristin finally steadied themselves.

"Yeah. So, I was wondering," Seth said leaning forward. "Would you like to come down to First Beach in La Push tomorrow?"

"Like, a date?" I asked hopefully.

"Yeah, like a date." Seth said, smiling sheepishly at me.

"Then, yes! Absolutely!" My heart jumped at the fact that I would be seeing Seth tomorrow. And I was going on a date with him! I couldn't believe this!

"Seth! Are you ready to go?" The lady he had been with earlier was carrying a bag and waiting for him at the front door.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute, Mom!" He called back to her. "What's your address? I'll pick you up at four."

I had to hold back the crazy urge to giggle as I told him the address to our new temporary home.

"So I'll see you tomorrow then?" I asked as he grinned and nodded his head.

"Tomorrow." He confirmed before turning away and walking over towards his mom. After Seth had left I walked back over to the guys, who were now putting everything back into the duffle bag and getting ready to go.

"Are you done already?" I asked, turning my head slightly to the side in question.

"Well we got half of it done, but my back can't take this floor anymore."Jason said holding his back like an old man. Technically he was pretty old – if mid-twenties counts as old. I laughed at him for a moment and then grabbed the detergent and put it back into the duffle. Jason took the bag and we all walked back to the car, once again throwing it into the backseat again. Tristin got into the front seat again and I took the passenger side this time. It took us about thirty seconds to get back to the house and we all got out again.

"If you guys got the bag, I'm gonna go inside." I told them before heading back inside the house. I walked into the kitchen where Nikki, Alex, and Lexi where all sitting around the table by the window.

"Hey," I said happily, walking over to them and pulling out a chair to sit in.

"Hey, sunshine, why are you so happy?" Lexi asked, scowling down at her nails.

"I think the better question is: why are _you_ so happy?" I asked sarcastically.

"She's just grumpy because she doesn't have her health food." Alex said with a roll of her eyes. Nikki sighed before violently pushing her chair back and walking over to the cabinets. She pushed some things aside for a minute and then grabbed whatever she was looking for before stomping back to the table. Nikki sat back in her chair and slammed a Snickers bar down in front of Lexi.

"Eat!" Nikki commanded, pointing at it.

"Ewwwww!" Lexi said before pushing it away from her."Do you even know what's in that thing?"

"There is a list on the back," Nikki said, pushing it back towards Lexi. "Now, eat the _freaking_ Snickers!"

Lexi hesitantly grabbed the Snickers and took her time unwrapping it. Slowly she raised it to her mouth before taking a bite. She chewed it slowly before swallowing it.

"Well?" Alex asked quietly.

"That was the nastiest thing I have ever tasted!' Lexi said before she left the kitchen in a hurry.

Alex, Nikki, and I looked at each other for a minute before we all burst into laughter.

"Hey Nik, could you help me with something upstairs?" I asked, inclining my head towards the stairs.

"Yeah, sure thing." She said, following behind me as I went up to my room. I sat down on my couch, pulling one of the pillows to my chest.

"Guess what happened yesterday." I said.

"Uh…..you met a hot guy at the store?"

I laughed at how close she was but shook my head. "Close, but not quite. I did more than meet a hot guy…..I kind of Imprinted."

She gasped. "Really? Oh my gosh, Kali, that so great!"

I grinned. "I know!" We hugged for a moment before pulling away.

"But that's not what I need help with." I said. "Seth asked me to go on a date with him tomorrow. You think you could help me pick something out?"

Nikki nodded before getting off the couch and sticking her head out the door.

"Alex! Lexi! Get in here, Kali needs fashion advice!"

I rolled my eyes. "Thaaanks."

"You're welcome!" She said with a grin as Alexis and Lexi came into the room.

"Girls, really, this isn't necessary." I started to protest, but they all shook their heads.

"Don't even, Kali. We're not asking. Just for once, let us help you."

I sighed and nodded. Maybe this could be fun.

"Oh, alright. Let's do this." I said, allowing myself to smile.


	6. Embarrassment and Surprises

**I just now realized that I didn't update on Monday and I'm SO sorry! I hope this makes up a bit for it. =] Love,**

**~Ouaysis.**

**P.s. I also realized I didn't put a disclaimer on the first chapter, so now I'm putting it here. I do not own any of these characters! Kali and her pack belong to Darvia and the others belong to Stephanie Meyer.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 6: Embarrassment and Surprises<p>

**Kali POV**

I sighed as I looked into the mirror in my bathroom, wrapped in a towel with my brown hair plastered to my shoulders and soaking wet. I was jittery as I started to get dressed. What was going to happen with Seth? I hoped that everything would work out okay. I wasn't going to tell him about being a shape shifter just yet. It would probably scare him off if I told him about it on the first date. I frowned. Could soul mates get scared off? With a sigh I looked at the outfit Lexi, Alex, and Nikki had eventually agreed on.

There was a floral print skirt with blue and dark pink flowers on the yellow fabric. It brushed my knees when I pulled it on and I decided that I liked it. It was comfortable and casual but nice. The shirt I wasn't as sure about. They had all insisted that I wear a pink tank top that matched the pink flowers and a black quarter sleeve sweater over it. I thought it was a little too much for a walk on the beach, but they refused to let me change it. Once I was fully dressed I blow dried my hair and then straightened it.

When I came out of my bathroom Lexi gasped and shouted for the others.

"What?" I asked. "Is something wrong? Is my skirt on backwards?"

I looked down to check and sighed in relief when it wasn't. Lexi laughed.

"Nothing's wrong, Kali. You look great!"

"Are you saying I normally look like a mess?"

"No. But you look amazing! Just look at you!" She demanded before gripping my shoulders and steering me in front of the full body mirror propped against my wall. Jon was supposed to put it up sometime soon. As I looked at myself in the mirror I had to admit that I looked exceptionally good. Usually I just threw whatever was in my closet on and never really gave it much thought.

Alex and Nikki came into my bedroom and saw me.

"You look awesome, Kali!" Nikki said, with Alex nodding in agreement.

"But you need a little mascara," Lexi said, going into my bathroom and retrieving my tube of mascara. She handed it to me and I silently put it on.

"Perfect!" Alex declared. I smiled.

"Thanks girls. For everything. I don't know what I would do without you." I said.

Lexi laughed. "Go on a date in jeans and a t-shirt!"

I laughed too. "You're probably right."

Just as I slipped my flip-flops on there was a ring on the door bell.

"Got it!" Tristin's voice carried up the stairs.

"Oh great," I said. "Who let Tristin out of his cage?"

Alex laughed. "That was me, sorry. But I just couldn't resist those puppy-dog eyes he's got perfected."

I rolled my eyes. "You can't resist anything he does, Alexis."

She shrugged. "What can I say?"

Together the four of us went downstairs. Tristin, Jason, and Seth were all talking in the foyer. Lexi and Alex both went to stand next to their soul mates, and I felt bad for Nikki. Now she'd be all alone. I hadn't thought of it that way before.

"I'm sorry," I whispered into her ear.

"For what?" She asked.

"For leaving you alone. We won't be able to make jokes about being single or make fun of the others anymore."

Nikki shrugged and gave me a reassuring smile. "We'll find new jokes. And besides, just because you found 'The One' doesn't mean we can't make fun of the others."

I grinned. "I guess you're right."

"You coming or what, Kali?" Jason asked.

"Yeah, coming!" I said before going the rest of the way into the foyer. I smiled at Seth when I saw him and he did the same. His smile took my breath away and the butterflies in my stomach went crazy. He was wearing a plaid button down shirt and a nice pair of jeans. I felt a little over dressed, but hoped Seth didn't mind.

"Hey," I said.

"Hello, Kali." Seth replied.

We were about to leave when Jon came in.

"Going somewhere, Kali?" He asked the question seriously enough, but I saw the humor dancing in his eyes. I smacked myself on the forehead.

"Ugh! I'm such an idiot. I completely forgot to tell you! I'm so sorry, Jon." I said apologetically.

Jon laughed. "It's alright, go and have some fun. Lucky for you Tristin told me about it last night."

"Thank you. Again, I'm sorry for forgetting to tell you."

"I know. Now get out of here!" He said with a smile. I nodded and opened the door, going out after Seth and shutting the door. Seth and I went to his car and got it. It was really nice, an '89 Mustang.

"I like your car," I commented.

"Thanks." Seth said, giving me a smile. "I refurbished it with the help of my friend Jake before he left."

"Where'd he go?" I asked curiously.

"He went with his girlfriend and her family when they moved. He couldn't take being so far away from her."

"That's sweet." I said with a smile and Seth nodded.

"So was that your dad in there?" Seth asked after a few minutes passed.

I chuckled. "Not really. He's Tristin's birth father, and we all see him as our dad, but no. He took us all in when no one else wanted us."

"Oh. You should tell me about it sometime." Seth said, giving me a look of encouragement.

I nodded. "Maybe."

"Hey, I hope you don't mind, but I need to drop something off at a friend's house before we go to the beach. Is that okay?"

I nodded. "Yeah, that's fine with me."

We made small talk in the car and before I knew it Seth and I were pulling into the driveway of a house. It looked cozy and well-used. There were a few kid toys scattered on the ground in the spacious front yard. I was going to wait in the car but Seth insisted that I go in with him.

"Emily loves meeting new people." Seth said as he led the way up the walkway. "She doesn't get out much since she's always busy, so she always enjoys it when there're visitors."

"Okay," I said nervously. "If you say so. But if everyone one hates me it's your fault."

"No one's going to hate you, Kali." Seth said with a chuckle as he pulled open the front door.

There was a chorus of "Hey Seth," and I hadn't known it was possible to have so many people in one house without it being crowded. There were two guys on the sofa and another one in a chair across from them. A toddler was playing with his toys in the middle of the floor, obviously used to the busyness of the house. A teen-aged girl who I guessed was a few years younger than me was sitting next to the toddler. We continued into the kitchen, where there were still _more_ people.

There was a woman holding a baby girl on one hip and making some kind of food. Four guys were sitting at the table playing what looked like poker and a man was leaning against the counter. A woman was sitting at the foot of the stairs with her arms crossed and resting on her knees, which she had pulled up.

"Hey Sam," Seth said as he greeted the man leaning against the counter. Then Seth turned to me, putting a hand on my back and pulling me into the man named Sam's line of sight. His hand was burning, and so was his arm. He felt almost feverish. I had thought it was just his hand at the grocery store, but I had apparently been mistaken. Despite his warm skin chills shot down my spine at his touch.

"This is Kali, the girl I told you about."

Sam smiled and offered me his hand. "I'm Sam Uley. It's nice to meet you, Kali."

His hand, too, was freakishly warm. I nodded and swallowed. "You too, Sam."

Seth and I turned and I almost had a heart attack when I recognized three of the four guys. They were the objects of the picture Jon had brought home when he'd gone to talk to the La Push Pack. My heart started to race. Oh no…. This was _not_ good! This couldn't be happening! I swallowed again, trying to parch my suddenly dry throat.

"Kali, this is Paul, Embry, Brady, and Collin. Guys, this is Kali." Seth said by way of introduction. I put a hand up and put what I hoped was a smile on my face. So Embry, Brady, and Collin were the pack members we had a picture of, huh? This was _so_ not good.

"Seth, don't scare the poor girl." The woman said, coming over to us. She handed the baby to Sam and then hugged me, which surprised me beyond anything else that night. I hugged her back awkwardly and was surprised that she had a normal temperature.

When she pulled away she smiled at me and I realized she had a scar running down the right side of her face, but other than that she was beautiful.

"I'm Emily Uley, Sam's wife. Don't mind Seth, he gets excited sometimes. Come on, why don't we go into the living room while the boys talk."

"Um, yeah, sure." I said, following Emily into the living room.

"So are you all…..related?" I asked.

Emily laughed. "No. Well, some are, distantly, but mostly no. They're all like brothers though."

I nodded in understanding. So it was kind of like my own pack. That is, if I was correct about them being the La Push Pack. Maybe it was just those three who were in the pack and the rest of these guys were their friends? But then I realized that almost all of them were wearing cut-off shorts and no shirts. They had to all be part of the pack; otherwise they would put some clothes on, right? I mean, it wasn't even that hot outside.

"Claire, this is Kali." Emily said. The girl on the floor looked up and then stood.

"Seth's Kali?" She asked.

I felt myself blush and cursed my cheeks. Of course they would betray me.

"Claire!" Emily said. "She's not "Seth's Kali." Why would you say that?"

Claire shrugged. "He wouldn't stop talking about her."

I felt the blush deepen and go down to my neck. I looked down at my feet, praying that it no one saw it. However, I couldn't help but like the way that sounded. Seth's Kali. Was I Seth's Kali? Would I be Seth's Kali? If this Imprinting thing really worked, then I supposed I would.

"Um, I think I'll just go wait in the car." I said awkwardly, pointing out the window towards Seth's car.

"That's not necessary," Seth's voice came from the doorway. "Because I'm done anyway, so we'll be off."

Relief filled me and I went to the door, opening it without waiting for Seth.

"See you all later." Seth said. "And Claire, try to behave."

Seth was grinning when he joined me at the car, but I was still mortified. I didn't want to look at Seth incase he saw my blushing.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I said, avoiding his eyes. I thought he would just get in the car and we would be on our way, but I heard footsteps crunching on the gravel and next thing I knew Seth was right next to me. His extremely warm hand was on my chin, lifting it up. For a minute I stared into his eyes and for the first time noticed just _how_ attractive they were. They were like liquid chocolate.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Kali."

I shrugged. "I said I'm fine."

Seth grinned. "Yeah, and that's why you won't look at me. Is it a bad thing that I was excited for tonight?"

I laughed and shook my head. "No. I'm sorry; I just don't really do this that often."

Seth laughed. "Neither do I."

Without another word he went back around the car to the driver's side. Taking in a deep breath I got in the passenger seat. Seth started the car and then we were off. He tapped a rhythm on the steering wheel for a while. When he stopped he turned to me.

"So if Jon isn't your father, what happened to your parents?"

The question was unexpected and knocked me a little off guard. Where had that come from? I cleared my throat and hesitated for a few moments. _Should I tell him? _I wondered. I'd never really told anyone out of the pack what had happened.

"You don't have to tell me, I mean, if it's crossing a line I understand. I didn't mean to be rude or –"

I held up my hand. "Seth, it's okay. I-I want to tell you. "

I looked straight ahead at the road for a moment. Before swallowing and looking over at Seth.

"My parents were on their way home when…they died in a plane crash. On September 11th, 2001.

Seth's face filled with shock and then sympathy.

"Wow…..I'm _so_ sorry. That would mean you were only…" He trailed off, evidently realizing that he didn't know my age.

"Seven." I said, but that was a lie. I had actually been fifteen that horrible day. I'd gotten so upset I'd phased. Everyone thought my aunt had gone crazy from the deaths of her brother and sister-in-law when she told them that I had burst into a black dog. I thought I was crazy myself. But then Jon had found us somehow and offered to take me in. My aunt wanted nothing better than to get away from her freakish, mutating niece, so she gladly signed guardianship over to Jon by saying he was my mother's brother. I'd been with them ever since. Tristin had phased a year previous at the death of his own mother, so that was when we'd started our little pack. Jon was with us then. Jon was a shape shifter as well, but now he only phased every once in a while in order to not age. His form was a cheetah.

I shrugged and gave him a small smile. "It's alright. It was a long time ago. And I have Jon now, so it's not that bad."

"My dad died of a heart attack a few years back, so I know what it's like." He said with a small nod.

"I'm sorry." I said and I meant it.

"It's okay. I still have Mom. And Billy's kind of like a father to me. He is to everyone."

I was about to ask who Billy was when Seth stopped.

"Well, here we are." He said with a smile. "Are you ready for this?"

With a smile I nodded. "Definitely."


	7. Death by Cliffs

**Hey everyone! So I actually remembered to update on Monday! :O Anyways, I will not be here next Monday, so I will have to post my chapter on Wednesday instead. I hope you like it. Love you!**

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 7: Death by Cliffs<p>

**Kali POV**

Seth and I walked from the parking lot down to the waterside. The beach was rocky and had a lot of pebbles and stones at first, but it smoothed out into sand eventually. I loved the sound of the waves breaking and crashing onto the sand. It was soothing. I knew that I was going to have to tell Seth about my pack, now that I was certain he was a member of the La Push Pack. On the ride over I'd thought it through and determined that it was the only possible answer. They all had a freakishly high body temperature and were all super tall. I'd seen it before in shape shifters in South America. But I didn't want to tell him until it was absolutely necessary.

For now I just enjoyed myself, breathing in the salty sea air and feeling the slight breeze brush against my skin.

"So, how long have you been here?" Seth asked.

"A few days," I said with a laugh. "We'd actually just arrived and gotten settled the day that I saw you in the grocery store."

"Really? Wow. Well how do you like it so far?"

"I'm loving this." I said, closing my eyes for a few moments. I laughed. "Although I have to admit it's kind of weird to be at the beach when clouds are covering the sky."

Seth chuckled and nodded. "You get used to it. As a kid I always thought that it was _supposed_ to be cloudy at the beach."

I laughed again and shook my head. "I've always loved the beach. We lived on the east coast once, and it was amazing. We had the beach as our backyard."

"Do you get around a lot?"

"Yeah. Jon's a bit of a wonderer, so we never stay in one place for more than a few months." I told him the same explanation we gave anyone who asked. In truth, Jon did love to travel, but we really only moved so much because of our duty to help other packs.

"Oh," Seth said, and he looked a little sad. I realized that I was sad too. What was I going to do when it came time to leave? Would I be able to stay here with Seth? I doubted it. I was alpha; I couldn't just get up and leave. Besides, I would miss everyone too much. Would Seth come with me? That would be cool, but I wasn't sure he'd be willing to. His family was here – his mother and all the rest of the guys who he loved like brothers. Would he be willing to leave that all behind for me?

"We'll probably be staying here for a while though, so we'll have to make the best of it." I said encouragingly. As I looked up into the sky my eyes caught sight of a familiar form. For a moment I glared at the bird, knowing that it was watching me. I swear I saw it grin at me. What in the world was Tristin doing here? I resisted the urge to utter a cry of annoyance. That boy seriously knew how to get under my skin. I forced myself to ignore him and just enjoy my time with Seth.

"So what do you all do for a living?" He asked.

"Uh….." I said, not knowing what to say. With most people we just made up something, but I wanted to tell Seth the truth as much as possible.

"It's kind of like contract work I guess you could say. We go wherever someone wants us or we're needed. We're sort of like a security team. We help keep people safe."

_Please buy it, please buy it._ I thought desperately. Seth seemed suspicious for a moment but then apparently decided I was telling the truth.

"Sounds awesome." He said and I nodded.

"What about you?"

"I'm a security guard at La Push."

With every passing minute my suspicions were being confirmed. A sinking feeling appeared in my stomach and I knew I was going to have to tell Seth the whole truth. And I knew that he was going to hate me. I stopped suddenly and Seth did too, looking down at me in confusion.

"Something wrong?"

I sighed and looked down at my feet for a moment. "Look, Seth, I know what you are."

He looked shocked. "You do?"

I nodded. "Yes, and I –"

My confession was cut off by a sudden howl, coming from deep inside the forest directly in front of us. Seth looked troubled, as if he was contemplating not going. But then Tristin squawked from above us and I knew we both had to go.

"I have to go." Seth said, not realizing that I was being called as well. Immediately I knew it was the vampire.

"Me, too." I said and then kicked my sandals off and then took off running towards the forest. Seth was right behind me.

"Wait, what are you –?"

"I'll explain later!" I shouted, looking over at him for a moment before forcing my legs to pump faster. Even before I got to the forest I closed my eyes and concentrated with all my will. I imagined myself becoming a dog, and then I jumped. When I landed I had successfully phased and I charged into the trees. Looking over my shoulder I saw that Seth had phased too, turning into a sandy-colored, horse-sized wolf.

_Tristin, where is it?_ I asked and immediately saw things from his view. I was used to the sudden change of sight, so it didn't bother me. I nodded and changed my course, heading for the vampire.

_Lexi, Jason, you go around from the other side. Everyone else, follow me._ The next thing I knew I was being flanked by Nikki and Alex, who was jumping from tree to tree. Nikki and I were larger than the normal size of our respecting animals, but we weren't as large as the La Push wolves. We were built for agility and speed. The wolves were more for strength and power.

_Sorry about you're date, Kali_. Alex said sympathetically.

_It doesn't matter now, Alex. Just focus, okay?_

_Right. Sorry._ She said before pushing on ahead.

Soon Nikki and I were running alongside the vampire, and the La Push wolves were on either side of it. Nikki and I mixed in with a few of them and they growled and snapped at us. The alpha must have told them to behave, because after a few times they ignored us. I saw Jason and Lexi come from the other side. Both the La Push pack and my own lunged for the vampire several times. They all missed. The vampire was very skilled. I'd never seen one so agile before.

Tristin swooped in and tried to attack, but once the vampire recovered from surprise it grabbed Tristin by the wings and tossed him to the side. I saw him hit a tree and fall to the ground, swearing.

_Tristin! _Alex screamed_. _

_Are you okay?_ I demanded, my nerves on edge.

_It's okay guys, I'll be fine. _Tristin said. _He'll have to do better than that to get _me _out of the air._

We all breathed in a collective sigh of relief. One of the wolves lunged for the vampire but was instead slammed to the side.

_Lexi, Alex, get under his feet. Make him trip!_

They did as they were told and it actually worked. The vampire fell, but caught itself and rolled before hopping up again. I swore and it was echoed by several others as the chase started anew. This was ridiculous. If it weren't for the wolves running off my pack, we might have had it. The vampire was starting to slow down and everyone and gaining on it. It looked back at us and then forwards again but not before I caught the sly look on its face.

_No!_ I shouted as it jumped once it reached a precipice. I had too much momentum and even though I tried to stop it was too late. I slid over across the top of the rocks, barreling towards the edge of the cliff.

_Kali!_ Everyone shouted in my head, not making things any better. I tried grabbing a branch with my mouth, but the sprig broke off. I was sideways as I skidded off the edge, and I managed to grab a hold on the rocks for a moment with my front paws. The sharp edges were cutting into my pads and I couldn't hold on much longer.

_Hold on, I'm coming! _Nikki shouted, but I couldn't hold on anymore. My grip failed and I plummeted towards the ocean below, the waves crashing against the jagged rocks. I felt a burning pain on the left side of my abdomen and then the hot flow of blood down my side. I phased in midair but it didn't help me any. There was nothing for me to grab onto as I fell. The scream that had been bubbling in my chest finally escaped moments before I hit the water. The icy cold water bit into my flesh as I crashed through the surface, plummeting into its depths.

I remembered too late that I was underwater, and I sucked in a mouth full of water. I couldn't breathe as I tried desperately to swim towards the surface, but the waves kept pushing me back down. A burning arm wrapped around me and tugged me upward as everything faded to black.

**Seth POV**

I couldn't believe that we'd finally got to talking and then I had to leave. I glanced at the forest, torn between disobeying orders and staying or going to get the bloodsucker. For months it had been killing the people around and in La Push. I couldn't allow it to kill any more innocent people.

"I have to go." I said reluctantly.

"Me, too." Kali said, which surprised me. Was she just being polite, maybe? Maybe trying to make me not feel bad? But then she kicked off her shoes and started to sprint towards the forest. I followed behind her.

"Wait, what are you –?"

"I'll explain later!" She shouted before pushing herself faster. She jumped and burst into a big black dog in midair. She landed gracefully on the ground before charging into the forest. I had to stop in order to strip and roll up my pants, but I didn't care about my shirt. Once my pants were tied I let the heat roll through me and started towards the forest once more. Just as I got to the forest I phased.

_Seth, join Paul and Jared on the left!_ Sam ordered me immediately.

_Coming! _I said as I headed towards them. From the corner of my eye I saw Kali going in the opposite direction and wondered if she was running away. But then I forced all thoughts of her out of my head and concentrated on the leech. Soon I was running alongside Paul and Jared on the vampire's left side. Sam, Embry, Quil, Leah, and Mason were on the right. Brady and Collin joined Paul, Jared, and me after a few minutes.

Kali and what I assumed was her pack came up beside Leah and Mason, who both snapped at them. I hadn't expected the new pack to be so odd. They were a mixture of animals, unlike my own uniformly wolf pack. Again, I forced all thoughts of Kali and the other pack out of my mind, focusing on the bloodsucker.

We all attacked at one point, but the vampire dodged and swatted us, sending Brady flying once. I saw an extremely large eagle swoop down and attack the leech from above, and it took me a moment to realize that it was part of the other pack. The vampire quickly got its wits back, however, and tossed the thing to the side. I winced when I saw it slam into the trunk of a tree and fall to the ground.

When Sam realized the bloodsucker was going to jump off the cliff, he ordered us to stop, even though we were almost neck-and-neck with the thing – which meant we could have ripped its throat out. But we all skidded to a stop easily enough. However, Kali wasn't used to the terrain, and by the time she realized what the vampire was doing, she was running too fast to stop. I whimpered as I watched her sit in order to stop faster, but she only kept going towards the edge. Her back end went off first and I watched in desperation as she tried fruitlessly to cling to the rocks.

_Nooo!_ I shouted when she slipped, starting towards her.

_Seth, no!_ Sam shouted, but it wasn't a direct order. I didn't have to follow it. I launched myself forward and got to the edge just in time to see Kali fall into the dangerous, rocky waters below. And to hear her terrified scream. Jumping off, I phased in midair and dived head first into the waves and rocks. The water was icy cold, but it didn't take long for me to find her in the water, struggling to get to the top. The cold and salt burned my eyes as I swam towards her, but I didn't close them until I had an arm wrapped around her securely.

Kicking towards the surface I headed towards a small beach to the right. It took a while to get there as the waves fought against me, but once I did I dragged Kali on shore. I pulled on my soaked jeans before kneeling down next to her. I was surprised to see her wearing what looked like a bathing suit. It was black and the top was kind of like a bikini, only it covered more. The bottoms were little shorts and were also black. But I didn't have time to wonder what it was.

"Kali! Kali, please, say something!" I begged her.

Her lips were blue and her breathing shallow. Pinching her nose closed, I tilted her head back and put my lips to hers, breathing out gently. She coughed up water and spluttered, trying to catch her breath as she sat abruptly. I helped her sit up as she started to breath. I saw the eagle from earlier fly down and then turn into a guy just as he hit the sand. He rushed over and dropped into the sand.

"Kali!" He said. "Kali, are you okay?"

I was about to reply that of course she wasn't okay when I saw it. She had a huge gash on her side. It looked deep and was bleeding pretty badly.

"We need to get her to a hospital!" I said.

"Are you kidding? And try to explain this? Yeah, right." The guy said. "We need to get her home."

I scooped her into my arms and stood up. "Alright then, let's get her to your house. But she'd bleeding bad and she needs to get medical attention."

The guy nodded and we both started towards the path that led up the cliff. I heard the sound of a car approaching and once we were on the top I saw that Embry had gone to retrieve his car. I wasn't sure who was more grateful, me or the other guy.

"Are you insane?" Sam demanded. "You could have died!"

"And Kali would have if I hadn't have got after her."

Reluctantly I allowed the guy I recognized from the grocery store take Kali and put her in the car. One of the girls rushed forward with a cloth in her hand, pressing it to Kali's side.

"We have to leave, are you coming or not?" The eagle guy asked. Looking at Sam, I knew he'd be even angrier if I didn't stay and sort this out first.

"Go." I said reluctantly. "I'll be there in a little bit."

He nodded and hopped into the back of the jeep just as Embry was turning in the direction of the road and sped off. I turned back to Sam.

"Did you expect me to let her die?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

"They're not our friends, Seth! When you said you'd Imprinted I never imagined it was on a girl from a potential enemy."

"They're not our enemies either!" I yelled. "I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation as to what happened the other day. If they weren't here to help, then what were they doing today?"

"We can't trust them. How do we know they're not just here to scout the land and see if they want it?"

"They're not like that, Sam. I can tell."

"I don't care. I don't want to you near them."

"Would you really do that to me, Sam? What if it was Emily and not Kali? You would have done the same, not matter who she was, and you know it."

Sam sighed and I knew I'd played my cards right. Jared stepped up.

"Sam, the kid's right. Some time's we can't help it, you know. Besides, I think they seem alright. Like Seth said, we shouldn't judge them by what we saw. It might just be a misunderstanding. And it can't hurt to see, can it?"

Sam glared at Jared for a moment, but I send him a silent thank you. Jared nodded. Sam turned back to me.

"Fine. But I want Quil and Brady and to go with you, and tell Embry he has to stay as well. Talk to their leader and see what they were up to the other day. Once you know if Kali is going to be okay or not, you are to come home and report to me, understood?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Good. Now get out of here before I change my mind." He said, turning towards the others. Quil and Brady were still in wolf form, so I phased without bothering to strip. I didn't want to wear wet pants anyway. I kept playing Kali's fall over in my head and anxiously lengthened my stride.

_She'll be alright,_ Quil insisted as we ran through the forest. As we got to the edge of the forest we all stopped. Brady untied his pants with his teeth and then tossed them at me.

_Here, wear mine. I'll meet you over there after I run home and change. What's her address?_

_Thank you,_ I said with gratitude as I phased and then pulled Brady's cut offs on. I told him the address and he nodded before taking off.

"Ready?" Quil asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, let's go." We took off at a run. I knew it must have looked odd – two Quileute guys running through town only wearing shorts. But honestly I didn't care. As we turned onto Kali's street my heart raced. What if she was hurt worse than I thought? Worry filled me as Quil and I slowed to a walk as we went up the front steps. I knocked on the front door and Embry pulled it open.

"How is she?" I demanded as we came into the house.

"She's going to be okay." Embry said, but his face was solemn.

I was about to ask where she was when one of the girls came around the corner.

"Seth," she said, beckoning to me. "Kali wants to see you."

I nodded and hurried to her side. The girl with blonde hair led me down a hall and into a bedroom. Kali was lying there, under the covers. Her face was pale and her lips still a little blue. I forced a smile.

"How are you feeling?" I asked, approaching the bed and kneeling beside her.

Kali tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace. She shrugged. "Jon said I'll be okay. My hands are a little torn up and my side hurts, but I'll be fine. I'm a tough cookie to break."

Despite my anxiety I smiled at her humor and optimism. I nodded.

"The waters weren't as icy as normal since summer is on its way. But still, that was a bad fall." Even as I said it Kali's eyes started to close. I kissed the back of her hand before getting up and leaving the room. The girl smiled at me.

"She's right you know." She said. "Kali's a tough girl; she'll back one hundred percent in a few days."

I nodded.

"I'm Lexi, by the way." She added. I smiled and offered her my hand.

"It's nice to meet you, Lexi." I sighed after she let go of my hand. "We need to talk. Who's your leader?"

Lexi inclined her head towards the door she just closed. "She's sleeping."

Kali was their leader? _Why does that not surprise me?_ I thought with a small smile.

"Right. Well I need to talk to someone."

Lexi nodded and started back down the hall. She led me to the kitchen where everyone was already gathered. I noticed Embry in the corner, deep in conversation with a girl. She had light green eyes and her hair was a silky black. They both looked at each other like they were the only other ones in the room…..like they were the only thing important in the world. I suppressed a groan. Sam was _not_ going to be happy about this.

"Did I miss anything?" Brady asked as he came into the kitchen.

"No really," I said, shooting a glance towards Embry and the girl. Brady raised his eyebrows, looking weary. I knew he was thinking the same thing I was.

"Everyone, Seth says he needs to talk." Lexi said. "Tristin, you're second in command, so you and he can work it out."

I turned to Tristin – the guy who turned into an eagle. We shook hands and then he put his hands into his pockets and leaned against the refrigerator.

"So, what's this about?"

I sighed. "Sam, our alpha, is being extremely cautious. As you know, we saw you the other day just watching the vampire. That leech has been killing innocent people around the area for months. You do understand that, right?"

"With all due respect, tell your alpha to chill out. We have our own agenda on how we do things."

"Which is?"

"We study the vampire – learn his habits, when he comes and how long he stays."

"It's random times." I protested, but Tristin shook his head, a grin on his lips.

"No, it's not. It might seem that way, but it's not. We've done it this way for years. Believe me, it works. If you let us do our job then this thing will be dead by the end of the month."

"I'm not sure if Sam will like that."

Tristin shrugged. "Look, I'm sorry. But that's the way things go down around here. If he doesn't like it then we'll leave – but it seems to me that you really need us."

I sighed. "You've got that right. I'll tell Sam and see what he says. I'll try to convince him that this is for the better."

Tristin nodded.

"Well, I have to go." I said and Tristin nodded. "Embry, let's go!"

I saw Quil practically dragging him out of the kitchen from the corner of my eye. We all piled into Embry's jeep and he moodily turned it on and pulled out of the driveway. I ran a hand through my hair. If Sam didn't go for their explanation, then that meant Kali was leaving. I wasn't sure if I could handle that. For the first time, I truly understood Jake's motive's for going with the Cullens. I stared back at Kali's house as Embry drove down the street. _I won't let you leave, Kali. I promise._


	8. Compromise

**Sorry for not posting last week, but I had to catch up on all my missed school work. I will post another tomorrow to make up for it, I promise! Anyways, hope you enjoy. Love you!**

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 8: Compromise<p>

**Kali POV**

I opened my eyes to the white wall of Jon's room. For a moment I was confused as to why I was there, but then I moved too quickly and pain shot through my side. Oh yeah. The vampire….the cliff. I sighed and pushed myself into a sitting position. The stitches Jon had used to sew up the huge gash in my side pulled my skin as I moved, but since I moved slowly it didn't hurt. Both of my palms were bandaged. Pulling back the gauze, I peaked inside. I had two large cuts across my palms from holding tightly to the jagged rock and scratches from my slide over the rough ground.

"Morning," Jon said as he came into the room. I looked up at him and smiled.

"Good morning."

"You up to eating breakfast with the rest of us?" Jon asked.

"What are we eating?" I asked as I pulled the covers back.

"Steak and eggs."

"Mmmm," I said, sliding out of bed. I walked down the hall to the kitchen, where everyone was already sitting at the table. I sat down next to Nikki, knowing my hair was a mess but not caring.

"How are you feeling?" Nikki asked me.

I shrugged. "I'm alright. Little bit stiff, but I'll manage."

Nikki rolled her eyes at me as she passed the huge bowl of scrambled eggs over to me.

"So Nik, you gonna tell Kali or what?" Alex asked from across the table, shooting Nikki a knowing look. I turned to my friend.

"Tell me what?" I demanded.

Nikki looked both embarrassed and excited. "You know Seth's friend Embry?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I met him yesterday. What about him?"

"Well, he brought you over here after your accident…..and we kind of Imprinted."

I gasped, spiking a bout of pain in my side that I ignored. "On each other?"

She nodded, trying to hide her grin.

"Nikki!" I yelled, throwing my arms around her. "That's so awesome!"

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah. Now get off of me so I can eat!"

With a laugh I rolled my eyes and let her go. I knew she was beyond excited about Imprinting; she was just trying to act like she wasn't. After breakfast everyone but Jason, Lexi and I went out to explore the town of Forks. I would have gladly gone with them, but they had all demanded I stay home and rest. I had been flicking aimlessly through the few television channels we received locally when I heard a noise in the kitchen.

With a frown I stood up. As I walked towards the kitchen I heard it again – it sounded like a scrapping noise.

"Lexi?" I asked once I had a proper view of the kitchen from the doorway. Immediately, Lexi's hand shot behind her back and a few moments passed before she peeked out from behind the cabinet door. She was standing on a chair, digging through the top cabinet over the microwave.

"What are you doing?" I asked with a laugh.

"Ummmm. Nothing." She said. "I'm not doing anything."

"Mmhmm, and that's why you look so guilty." I told her, crossing my arms over my chest. When pain went up my side I forced myself not to wince. Lexi sighed and stepped off of the chair.

"Okay, okay." She said, her shoulders sagging. "I was looking for Nikki's secret stash."

"Why?"

Lexi brought her hand out from behind her back and I started to laugh. In her hand was a half-eaten Snickers bar. She looked sheepish as she shrugged.

"I thought you said that was disgusting?"

Lexi scowled and crossed her arms over her chest. "I lied, okay?"

Just then Jason came into the room. He looked from Lexi's defiant form to my own amused one and then back.

"What's going on?" He asked with raised eyebrows.

"Lexi's getting audacious," I explained with a laugh and a shake of my head. Jason stepped closer to her and took the Snickers bar from her hand.

"Really?" He asked. "You've been sneaking candy while I've been eating crap that tastes like cardboard?"

Lexi looked down at the floor, her blonde hair framing her face. When she looked up she had tears in her eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm not the girl I was when you met me. I can't take the health food anymore! Please say you'll still love me."

Jason shook his head and pulled her into his arms, kissing the top of her head.

"Of course I still love you, baby." He reassured her and Lexi's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Yes. Just promise me no more veggie burgers."

Lexi sighed and then laughed, nodding. "I am sorry, Jason. No more tofu, okay? I promise."

"Good!" He said, kissing her and then wrapping his arms around her again. I rolled my eyes and went back to the living room. I was pretty sure I was puke if they stared making out in front of me. After an hour I gave up on trying to find something interesting to watch and was about to head upstairs to my room to read a book when the others all came one by one through the front door.

"Kali, are you up for going somewhere?" Jon asked with concern in his eyes.

"Yes!" I answered immediately. "Anywhere! Please, get me out of this house!"

"I'm not sure you'll be too excited about where we're going. But come on, Lexi, Jason, you two as well."

I frowned. "Why? Where are we going?"

"To La Push. The pack leader has decided to meet with us, but only in the presence of the Council, who are the ones that called us here."

"Oh," I said as I slipped on some flip-flops.

"Well that doesn't sound too bad." I said with a shrug.

"There's no way you're driving," Lexi said, holding out her hand for my keys.

"I cut my side, Lexi, not broke my leg." I said with a scowl.

"You need to rest. Just give me the freaking keys."

With a sigh I handed them to her and then sulkily got into the passenger seat. Nikki and Jason got into the back while Tristin and Alex got into the Highlander with Jon. Nikki and Jason were discussing a recent episode of their favorite TV show in the backseat, but Lexi and I were silent. I didn't mind though; it was a comfortable silence. A slight smile turned up my lips as I stared out the window. It had started to rain in the few minutes since we'd gotten in the car. Absently I wondered how the people of Forks could take all the rain. I liked rain, but not _this_ much. I swear, out of the week we'd been here it had rained more than it did in two months back home.

Lexi followed closely behind Jon's highlander and after fifteen minutes that felt more like thirty we all got out of the cars. Everyone made a dash for the building that read _Tribal Affairs_ on the doors. A searing pain shot through my side when I started to run, causing me to suck in a cold breath and slow down. Finally I made it under the eaves of the building, soaking wet from my trip through the rain.

"You look lovely, Kali." Jason said with a grin. "I like the way your hair looks plastered to your dripping face."

I glared at him and punched him in the arm, hard.

"Ow!" He protested, rubbing his upper arm tenderly. I ignored him as I went through the glass front doors after Jon and Tristin. Seth and a few of his pack mates were waiting for us in the front lobby. The grin that appeared when he first saw me quickly turned to a frown when he noticed my soaked clothing. Without hesitation he approached me.

"Why are you wet?" He demanded.

I shrugged. "It's raining. And I can't run without pain shooting up my side."

"Should you be here? You need to take it easy and let your side heal."

His concern for me made me smile, warming me from the inside. I put a hand on his warm bicep.

"Seth, calm down. I'll be fine. What's a chase without a little pain, right?"

His face remained worried. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Seriously. I'm _fine_. I've had much worse, believe me. Oh, thanks." I said as one of the pack members appeared at Seth's side, handing me a towel. I took it and dried my hair a bit before wrapping it around my shoulders. Pain flared in my side as I swung it over my shoulders, but I stopped myself from grimacing just in time.

"So what is this all about?" I asked as we headed down the hall as a group.

"Sam wanted to talk to you all. I told him everything you told me, but he didn't seem convinced. I think he's trying to convince the Council members that we don't need you."

A sick feeling started to settle in my stomach. We'd never dealt with this kind of thing before. Usually the packs we help are all ready and willing. But Sam was set on kicking us out. I took a deep calming breath as we all filed through the doorway. The La Push wolves were all there, standing on the left side of the room. Seth reluctantly left my side and joined his pack along with the other two who had waited for us in the front lobby. An older man with graying black hair sat in the middle of the table at the front of the room. We all gathered together and stood on the right side. I didn't like how it felt as if there was a wall running down the room, dividing our two packs. We needed to be together as one if this was ever going to work.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen." The man in the middle said, giving us a nod.

"Good evening, sir." I said, stepping forward. Everyone looked at me as if I was going to crumble into tiny little pieces. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at them and instead focused my gaze on the man.

"I'm Billy Black, Head of the Council." He said. "Sam has called a meeting in order to discuss some differences."

From the hard set of Sam's jaw, I figured "discuss" wasn't exactly the word he was thinking of. I forced the sigh in my chest to stay there as I nodded. Billy turned to Sam.

"Sam, you called the meeting."

Sam nodded and turned to me.

"Seth has told me the explanation your second in command gave him, but I have some….issues with that. I've never before heard of a pack that surveys a vampire."

"Are you trying to say that we're not legit?" I asked, crossing my arms carefully.

"No, not at all. You need to understand that I have to keep my entire tribe's safety in mind, not only that of my pack."

"I do understand that. We're here to help you get rid of this thing, so that your people can be safe again. So why won't you let us?"

"No pack has ever come here without looking for a fight before. Naturally I'm cautious. It's my job to be cautious."

I nodded. "I get that. It's my job too. But _you _called us here. We didn't just show up. Jon said that an old friend of his called him and said they needed help and now here we are. If you want us to leave, we will. Personally, though, I think you really need us. We have eyes in the sky and the trees. We can watch without being spotted. And the faster we get to that the faster we get the vampire and leave."

Sam sighed and looked toward Billy.

"Is that true?"

Billy nodded. "Yes. I called Jon Cross and asked him if he wouldn't mind bringing his pack in for back up."

"I thought Kali was alpha?" Sam asked with a frown.

"I am," I said and Sam turned back to me. "But Jon is still our authority. He's kind of like our manager. Jon arranges where we go and where we stay. He's the only one who is technically—and physically—over eighteen."

Sam didn't say anything, just looked back at the others.

"Look, why don't we make a deal. For three days we'll both track the vampire in our own ways. If by the end of those three days no progress is made on our end or we get in your way, we'll leave. Does that sound good?" I asked.

Sam nodded and looked back at all the guys behind him. The three in the front nodded as well, so I took it as a good sign.

"Yes, that sounds good." Sam said, stepping forward and offering me his hand. I took it with my own and we shook hands.

"Well I'm glad we've got that all sorted." Billy said, standing up. "I now declare this meeting officially over."

Tristin clapped my shoulder with his hand and smiled at me when I turned back towards my pack.

"Well done, Kali." Jon said, and I detected a hint of pride in his voice.

"Thanks. So where to after this?"

"I think a special occasion such as this deserves to be celebrated. I saw a diner in Forks a while back. How does that sound?"

"Like we live in a very small town."

Jon and Tristin both laughed and Tristin put an arm around my shoulders in a brotherly way. I looked across the room to wave to Seth, but the La Push Pack was already gone. I frowned but then pushed it to the back of my head. It didn't matter at the moment. I smiled as I exited the building with Lexi, Alex, and Nikki. It had stopped raining and that made me smile even bigger. Things were finally going as they were supposed to.


	9. Close Call

Chapter 9: Close Call

**Seth POV**

I saw a blur of green and brown from multiple different angles as I ran. If I hadn't been used to it, it probably would have made me sick. I knew Collin was about eight feet behind me but the leech was nowhere in sight. It had been only thirty-four hours since that last

_Where'd it go?_ I asked, looking around the forest.

_No idea,_ Collin replied.

_Embry, Paul, you see anything?_

_No_. They chorused.

_Well it didn't just disappear,_ Sam grumbled. _Find it!_

I put my nose up, catching the breeze. I got a whiff of vampire stench and almost gagged but immediately turned, my hind legs slid in the loose forest ground as I went sharply right. As I did I saw Tristin swoop down towards me, letting out a loud shriek. I could tell that he was trying to tell me something, so I headed after him. My paws dug into the muddy earth as I pushed myself forward. It didn't take long before we came up on the bloodsucker. Kali came up beside me, a grey wolf on her other side and a ring-tail cat jumping from tree-to-tree. I didn't want Kali to exert herself too much, so I anticipated her moves and lunged before she could. I knew she wasn't happy about it, but I didn't want her to make her injury worse. We chased it for fifteen minutes, doing a twisted dance as we lunged and dodged, nipped and swatted.

Finally I sank my teeth into the vampire's calf and he went down, swearing. Tristin swooped in and took off one of the vampire's ears with his insanely sharp beak. The bloodsucker screamed in pain and grabbed Tristin out of the air, tossing him against a tree. He went down and didn't come back up. I pushed all the dark thoughts out of my mind and focused on Kali and the vampire.

_Sam! Over here!_ I shouted, ducking to avoid the bloodsucker's on-coming fist and shoved Kali out of the way. She growled at me and nipped at my paws, but I ignored her. I wasn't about to let her get hurt again because of this leech. The ring-tail cat jumped out of the tree with a yowl and sank her sharp claws into the vampire. He screamed and tried to grab the cat but he couldn't, so just left her there as he started to run for the cliffs again. I growled and charged after him. After several minutes the cat let go and landed on the ground. Sam, Paul, and Jared skidded to a halt beside me just as the leech launched itself off of the cliff and into the water. Several of my brothers swore simultaneously with me. I went behind a huge pine tree and phased, slipping my cut-offs on before stepping out from behind –only to come face-to-face with a fuming Kali.

"_What_ were you thinking?" She demanded, crossing her arms over her chest angrily. I swear I could almost see steam coming out of her ears.

"That I didn't want you to get hurt again," I said defensively. Sam appeared beside me, a scowl etched deeply into his brow.

"She's right, Seth."

"She didn't say anything!"

"It was stupid of you to try to protect her. We could have got him."

"If you weren't so damn protective that vampire would be a pile of burning ashes right about now!" Kali said. When she saw Tristin limping over with the help of another guy with dark brown hair and the girl with hair the color of tree bark she immediately rushed over, her anger forgotten.

"I'm fine guys, really." Tristin insisted, but he looked far from it. His face was more pale than normal and his leg looked as though it was twisted at an odd angle. I winced, knowing that it was broken.

"Kali, seriously, don't worry about me. You still need to heal yourself." Kali scoffed and slapped aside Tristin's weak attempt to shove her away. Soon she had his leg set using two thick fallen branches and the ties from mine and Embry's ankles.

"If this ever happens again, Seth, I swear to God –" Sam started but I held up my hands in a sign of defeat.

"Okay, okay! I get it." I said angrily. "But can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't have done the same if you were in my position? You'd do anything for Emily wouldn't you?"

Sam clenched his jaw. "Just don't do it again."

I gave a curt nod before going to Kali's side. She turned to me when she heard my approach but didn't say anything. I knew she was still mad at me.

"I'm sorry," I said, and truly meant it. She sighed and dropped her hands to her side, nodding. Finally she looked up at me, her green eyes shining with unshed tears. Wordlessly, I pulled her into my arms. She returned my embrace fiercely and I knew she was worried about Tristin. Pulling away, I brushed my thumb along her chin.

"He'll be fine." She nodded and cleared the water from her eyes.

"I'm more worried about the vampire." Kali said grimly and then took my hand. "Come on, we need to tell you something."

I nodded as I followed her. Both my pack and Kali's were scattered around a small clearing they had moved Tristin to. Thunder rumbled ominously overhead but I knew we'd be fine under the sheltered canopy of tree tops.

"You signaled for our assistance," Sam addressed Kali as soon as we stepped into the circle. She nodded, looking over at her pack mates nervously. The girl who'd helped bring Tristin over was sitting beside him in the dirt, stroking his blonde hair. He was assuring her he was fine, but I could tell she didn't really believe him. Embry had wondered over to the girl with black hair who I'd seen phase from the grey wolf form. I wondered how long it would be before Sam realized that not only one but two of his pack members had Imprinted on the new pack.

"First, I think formal introductions are necessary at this point." Kali said. "I think everyone agrees that it would be nice to know each other's names. So I'm Kali."

Sam had sent most of the pack to patrol in case of the leech's return, leaving only Quil, Jared, and Paul besides me, Embry, and himself. We all introduced ourselves and then it was the New Pack's turn.

"I'm Jason," said the dark-haired guy holding Lexi's hand. "And I'm Lexi."

"Alex," the girl beside Tristin said, barely glancing up from his face.

"Tristin," he said with a small wince. That only left the girl standing beside Embry.

"I'm Nikki. And now that's all over with we have some bad news. Things are about to get worse."

"How so?" Sam asked with a frown.

"He's planning on brining in his mate to help get rid of us and take over Seattle as their feeding ground." Lexi said grimly. Shock crashed over me like a tidal wave.

"Seriously?" Embry demanded, and then swore when every one of Kali's pack mates nodded.

"How much time do we have?" Sam asked gravely. Kali narrowed her eyes at Sam beside me.

"We as in our packs together or we as in your pack? Because I'm not helping you unless we're a part of the plan."

Sam sighed and finally gave a curt nod after a long silence.

"It seems that we can't do this without you all. Will Tristin be alright?"

Kali looked over her shoulder to where Tristin was propped up against a large bolder. Then she looked back at Sam and nodded.

"He'll be fine, though he'll probably have to sit out on this one." She said, then silenced his protests with a glare.

"No, Tristin. That's an order."

He obviously respected her Alpha status, as he fell silent immediately, though he looked far from happy about the command. His expression was sulky as he turned his gaze to the green floor of the forest.

"As for time, I'm not sure." Kali said with a sigh. "I'd say a few days."

"What have you gathered from watching him?" Sam asked, though I knew from the twitch in his jaw he still wasn't happy about them doing "surveillance" on the vampire.

"He's very intelligent, which I'm sure you already knew. By our experiences with him, I'd say he's encountered some of our kind before." Kali said. "But he has habits, even if he doesn't realize it. He's obsessed with his reflection. Why, I couldn't tell you. But we can use that to our advantage."

"He's also really strong, and that paired with his cunning is a bad combination for us." Lexi said, shaking her head. "But we can get past that too."

"Yeah, it's nothing we haven't seen before." Nikki said, shifting her weight to her other foot.

"We need to get together and plan," Kali said. "When and where should we meet?"

"Why don't you get Tristin home and taken care of then meet us just outside of the Forks border. There's a clearing there not too far into the woods."

Kali nodded. "Sounds good. We'll be there in twenty minutes."

Sam nodded and then turned, gesturing for us to follow him. I reluctantly let go of Kali's hand and followed my pack mates into the trees. We stopped by Sam's house to let Emily know what was going on in case one of the others wanted to know. Then we drove to the border of Forks and La Push and pulled off to the side of the road. Piling out of the cars, we all went into the clearing and there waited for Kali and her pack. I'd just sat down on a fallen tree when Sam turned to me.

"Seth," he said, gesturing with his head towards the opposite end of the clearing. I took a deep breath and stood, unease settling in the pit of my stomach.

"I want you to stay with the Pack during the discussion, understood?" He said once I had joined him in the semi-secluded spot.

I nodded and avoided his gaze. He was probably aware of the struggle going on inside of me. If something happened would I be loyal to my pack and stick by my brothers? Or would I take Kali's side? I wasn't sure, and that's what scared me.

"I'm not mad at you Seth," Sam said gently, placing a hand on my shoulder. I met his gaze and saw that he was sincere.

"But you have to understand my position here. I have to keep everyone's best interests in mind – Forks, Seattle, La Push, the Pack. And through all that I have to decide what's best for all of them, what decisions will have the greatest impact. If something happens I need to know I have all the support I can get. Are you with me or not?"

I sighed and shook my head. "Honestly Sam, I'm not sure. I want to be, but when push comes to shove I can't guarantee that I won't do what's best for Kali."

Sam nodded in understanding. "Just remember that it's never easy. Sometimes something seems like a good choice but it's really not. Think about it before you make a decision."

"Thanks, Sam."

He just nodded, gesturing for us to join the others again. Just as I sat back down next to Jared, Kali and the others emerged from the thick trees. Everyone had put clothes on over their swimsuit-like outfits but were all still barefoot. Alex wasn't with them, so I assumed she stayed behind with Tristin.

"Alright," Sam said. "Let's get this meeting started. What do you all have planned?"

They all stood in a line, with Kali a few inches in front of the others. Nikki was on her left, Lexi on her right and Jason beside her.

"Lexi?" She asked, looking over at the blonde-haired girl. Lexi nodded and stepped forward.

"Bloodsucker is intelligent, but he's not too intelligent for us. If we spring a surprise attack on him then we should be able to beat him. Every day, before and after scouting, the leech stares at his reflection for nearly ten minutes."

"And you think if we sneak up on him during this time we'll have the advantage?"

Jason nodded. "He appears very pensive when he does this, and it's always in the same spot at the river. If you and the wolves surround the perimeter with Kali and Nikki, than Lexi, Alex, and I will be able to position ourselves in the trees, giving us a vantage point from above."

"Is there a way we can communicate with each other?" Kali asked Sam.

"I'm not sure. Maybe. Once, there was another pack, led by Jacob Black. Jake and I were able to communicate with each other, though we couldn't talk to anyone else in the opposite pack besides Alpha. We can give it a try next time we phase. When are you thinking of pulling this off?"

"He probably won't be back until tomorrow. It sounded as though he was planning on feeding before returning." Kali said grimly. "And just as a warning, he may or may not have his mate with him. We couldn't hear very clearly what he was saying. He has some kind of accent."

"So you think we should do this tomorrow?"

Kali met the eyes of each of her pack mates before looking up and nodding. "Yes, I think that would be best. We need to get rid of him before he brings his mate."

Sam nodded in agreement. "That would be good. How's Tristin?"

Kali smiled. "Pissed off that I won't let him come with us. But he'll be okay. Jon has medical training, so he set Tristin's leg properly and gave him some pain medicine, though I think it was more to make him shut up than to help with pain."

I smiled at that and Sam even grinned a little. He gave a curt nod.

"So we'll meet here tomorrow morning?" Kali asked.

"Yes," Sam said with a nod.

"Alright then, we'll see you all tomorrow." She and the rest of her pack turned and started back towards their cars by the road. I looked over at Sam, getting a nodded permission before following after them.

"Kali!" I said, jogging a little to catch up. "Kali, wait up!"

She turned when she heard me, her silky brown hair whipping behind her. A smile lit up her face and I knew she'd forgotten about her annoyance from this morning. I smiled back and pulled her into my arms.

"You okay?" I asked, pulled away and brushing my thumb along her cheek. Kali took both my hands in hers and nodded.

"I'm fine. And Tristin will be too. You worry too much."

"I'm sorry," I apologized, lifting her hand and pressing my lips to the top of it.

"It's alright, you can't help it; it's part of who you are. Just promise me something."

I dropped our hands back down and nodded. "Anything."

"Never push me out of the way again. Or I _will_ hurt you."

I chuckled at her fierce stare and nodded again. "I promise."

"Seriously, you promise?"

"Yes, Kali. I'm one hundred percent serious."I assured her, sliding my hand to the nape of her neck and intertwining my fingers with the silk strands of her hair. "I don't want to have to deal with your wrath."

"Hey!" She said, whacking her hand across my shoulder. I just laughed and pulled her to my chest again. Kali slowly wrapped her arms around me. I heard her sigh in content and smiled. If only we didn't have to rid the world of blood-thirsty vampires. Then I would be able to take her out to dinner and spend hours with her in my arms. But until then I would have to be content with the small moments I could steal.


	10. Mission Accomplished

**Next chapter! Love you guys =]**

**~Ouaysis**

* * *

><p>Chapter 10: Mission: Accomplished<p>

**Kali POV**

Hundreds of rain drops poured down on top of us as Nikki, Lexi, Jason, Alex, and I ran our perimeter around La Push. So far we hadn't found anything, not even a hint of vampire stench. I sighed and looked over at Nikki.

_Tired?_ She asked. I'd been out here all day, talking to Sam and giving orders. With Tristin on the sidelines I had to make sure everything went smoothly all by myself. I hated times like these, though I did usually sleep well at night—when I got the chance, anyways.

_A little_, I admitted.

_You want me to take over for you?_

_No, I'll be okay. Thanks though._

_Sure._

Just as she said it, I caught the faintest trace of vampire scent, though it didn't smell right. It was sweeter, more feminine. My gut twisted. Were we too late? Had he already brought his mate to La Push? No, no, no! This couldn't be happening. If we had judged wrong, and the vampire was back already, would Sam blame us and send us packing? I didn't doubt it. If he thought that we had intentionally lied to him, then he wouldn't hesitate to kick us out of Forks and La Push.

My fears were soon increased, as I caught sight of a petite, black, spiky haired female vampire. She was leaning over something, and from the smell of blood I knew she was hunting. Only the blood didn't smell human, it smelt…..animal. It must have been absolutely desperate if it was hunting animal in the pouring rain. I growled at her and immediately she dropped the deer corpse, spinning around gracefully. I nearly stepped back in shock when I saw her eyes. They were liquid gold, the absolute wrong color for a vampire. The thought that maybe she was something else crossed my mind, but then I remembered the deer. There was no way she was something else.

The tiny vampire, little over four feet tall, held up her hands in surrender.

"I won't hurt you, I promise." Her pretty, pixie-like face barely was affected by her frown. "At least, I don't plan on it. But I can't see….what are you?"

_Stay in form,_ I instructed my pack before focusing on turning human again. I heard the vampire gasp and then looked down at her once I stood on two feet again.

"Who are you?" I demanded.

"Alice Cullen."

Cullen….where had I heard that name before? I wracked my brain until I remembered – the day, not even a week ago, when Seth and I had gone on a date. He'd mentioned the last name Cullen. And someone named Jake.

"Do you know Jake?"

The vampire nodded. "Yes, he's a good friend of ours. Now, if you don't mind me asking, who are _you_?"

"Kali Daniels, shape shifter."

Alice's face lit up in understanding. "Oh, so that explains the blank parts. Carlisle will be thrilled when he hears about this!"

I frowned in confusion but didn't respond.

"What are you doing here?"

"My family and I have come back for a few days, just to check on things. But no one can know we're in town."

"I won't tell anyone, I promise. Is there a reason you've returned?"

"The Pack contacted Jake and said they could use his help ages ago, only now was the first opportunity for us to return. We figured it was best to check on things and make sure help wasn't still needed."

I nodded. Would this Jake guy really increase our chances of beating this vampire once and for all? I really hoped he would, because we were running out of time.

"Could you take me to this Jake?"

Alice nodded. "Of course."

I just nodded before phasing back. I looked over at Nikki.

_You all stay here and continue to perimeter, just in case. But Alex, I need you to go find Sam and let him know that the Cullens and Jake have returned. He should know what to do after that. I'll be back when I can._

_Okay,_ they all chorused, and I saw Alex take off in the opposite direction, towards Sam's house. The others circled around Alice and I and then took off in three different directions. I turned to the tiny vampire girl. I could have just instructed them as a human, but I wasn't quite sure I could trust this Alice yet. So I stayed in animal form, and nodded to her when she looked over inquisitively.

"This way," she said in her tinkling, musical voice. Then she took off at a run, but I easily caught up with her. We passed the La Push border and went around Forks until we were several miles outside of the city. Alice stopped in front of a large, white house and turned to make sure I was still with her.

"I think it would be best to appear as human," she told me. I nodded in agreement and then phased, my hair plastered to my face and my elastic, swimsuit-like outfit soaked through. Once I was human again, Alice nodded to herself and then started towards the house. We were fifteen feet away when I caught something launch off of the second story balcony from the corner of my eye. Suddenly there was a lean but muscular, honey-blonde guy in front of me, crouching and hissing. Yes, actually _hissing_ – but not like a snake. It was a deeper, more feral sound.

I stepped back but raised my hands in a gesture of surrender. Alice put a hand on the guy's stony arm gently.

"She's not an enemy, Jasper, I promise. She's here to see Jake."

The guy, apparently named Jasper, straightened from his attack position and put an arm around Alice, but he still glared at me suspiciously. Another guy, with bronze colored hair and piercing gold eyes the same as the blonde's opened the front door.

"Alice is right, Jasper. The girl comes in peace. What's your name?" He asked me as we went through the front door, dripping water onto the stone floor from our sopping clothes. I knew from the burning stench that the house was filled with vampires. But I also caught two other smells that I couldn't quite place.

"Kali Daniels," I said, offering him my hand. He took it and we shook them cordially. Then he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Why are you here?"

"Oh relax, Edward. She's here to see Jake."

"Jake? Why do you need to speak with Jacob?"

"What about me?" An unmistakably Indian guy said, coming down the stairwell beside us. His dark hair and copper skin was undeniably handsome, but I couldn't help thinking that he was nothing compared to Seth.

"This girl named Kali Daniels is here to see you," Edward explained, then cocked an eyebrow at me. "You know Seth Clearwater?"

Embarrassment washed over me. How had he known I'd just compared this Jake guy to Seth? Jake laughed at my confused expression.

"Annoying, isn't it? Edward can read minds."

My mouth literally dropped open and I had to struggle to close it. Read minds? Was he crazy? I'd heard tales of vampires that had special abilities, but….I thought that was just what they were – tales. Jake nodded, his eyes dancing cheerfully in a way that reminded me of Seth.

"I know the feeling," Jake said, though his tone was light and cheery. "What did you need to see me for? Who are you, exactly?"

"I'm a shape shifter," I said. "My pack and I came here to help the La Push Pack with a troublesome vampire they have. I ran into Alice in the woods." I turned to the tiny vampire. "Which reminds me, what were you doing out there in the rain?"

Alice smiled at me and gave Jasper a reassuring pat before stepping closer. "I was waiting, to see if anyone would show up. I'd had a vision—well, _part_ of one. And I figured it wouldn't hurt to hunt while I was out."

I frowned. "You hunt animals? Is that why you're eyes are gold instead of red?"

A soft chuckle came from behind me and I turned to see a handsome man with golden hair to match his eyes and a sweet smile.

"You catch on quickly," he said. "Welcome, Kali Daniels. My name is Carlisle Cullen. These are my children. What brings you here today?"

Just as I was about to answer, Edward interrupted me.

"Sam's outside, he's about to come in. Did you call him, Kali? We haven't yet alerted The Pack of our residency here in Forks again."

I nodded just as Sam strode through the front door, dripping yet more water into the puddle that had accumulated at our feet. As he did another vampire, a woman, came into the room carrying a handful of towels. She smiled sweetly at us all as she went around handing us towels. I took mine with thanks, studying her soft caramel curls and heart-shaped face.

"Sam, how good to see you again." Carlisle said as the two shook hands. "I apologize for waiting so late to respond to your call, but we had business to take care of."

Sam nodded. "I understand. I'm just glad you could get here in time to help."

Carlisle nodded in agreement and Sam turned to me, his face serious. My gut twisted. He was back. Was his mate with him? I voiced my concerns with Sam, but he shook his head.

"No, thankfully it's just him. He seems very stubborn. We're going to continue on perimeter until the rain clears up, then get into position. Jake, are you up for some vampire hunting?"

Jake grinned. "Am I? I haven't ripped a bloodsucker to shreds in ages. I may be a little rusty, but I'll see what I can do."

Sam nodded. "Kali, take Jake back with you. Hopefully he'll be able to communicate with the rest of the pack. If not, maybe the Alpha connection will still apply even if there are three. I'll stay here and explain the plan to the Cullens. Maybe you all can keep an eye out for the mate." He directed the last part at the group of vampires, and they all nodded solemnly.

"Got it. Have you heard anything about Tristin?"

Sam shook his head and I took that as a good sign. Tristin had been fighting Jon to try and get in on the action since yesterday. But his leg was still broken, along with a few ribs, and I refused to let him out of bed. I turned to Jake.

"Well come on, we'd better get out there."

He nodded, stripping off his expensive-looking shirt and tossing it at Alice, who caught it. Then we advanced back into the rain together.

"What are you wearing?" He wondered as we ran towards the forest.

"It's called PHAZE," I said. "Tristin's dad made it."

"And it stays with you when you phase?" I nodded.

"That's genius!" He exclaimed with a grin. I laughed and nodded again before phasing into my dog form.

_Can you hear me?_ I asked, looking over at him.

_Loud and clear_, he replied with a wolfy grin. Shaking my head, I took off at a run. Once we got to where Sam and I split the perimeter, Jake turned off to find Sam's pack and I continued on to find my own.

_Lex, Jason, where're you at?_ I asked and immediately they sent me images of their locations. I sped up and met with Lexi, who was the closest to me.

_Sam's explaining the plan to the Cullens,_ I informed them, _who are a family of friendly vampires. They'll help watch out for the mate while we take down the male. Run perimeter until it stops raining, then get into position. _

_Alright, sounds good._ Lexi replied, and all the others made sure I knew they had heard me. I started to pant, cursing the rain and the mud it created. Mud was so much harder to run in than dirt. And my fur was weighted down with mud and water, which meant I had to use more energy than normal. It rained for another hour, and in that time Sam returned and told me that the Cullens promised to watch out for the vampire's mate. If she showed up, they'd also promised to get rid of her. Finally, around twilight—about an hour after the rain had stopped—the vampire showed up. Sam alerted me that someone in his pack had spotted the vampire and we all headed towards the river.

Nikki and I joined Sam's pack, creating a circle around the vampire as the others crept into their positions in the trees above. Just as planned, the leech was looking down, staring at the reflection in the water. Sam nodded, saying that everyone was in position on his end.

_You all ready up there? _ I asked, only to be greeted by a chorus of _yes_. Nodding I looked over at Nikki, who nodded back. _Alright then. Let the party begin. _

Alex attacked first, launching herself out of the tree and onto the vampire. She sank her claws into his head and shoulders, holding on for dear life as he screamed in pain and tried to rip her off. Jason went next, tackling Leech with his massive black body. Half of us advanced, the other half – the less experienced and younger wolves – stayed back to ensure that the vampire couldn't get away.

The vampire caught Jason with his feet and launched him into the sky. Jason yowled and twisted, but thankfully landed on his feet. The vampire was more experienced than we'd thought, or maybe just really lucky. He somehow dodged most of our lunges at him, though several times we got a good chunk out of him. Jake was a great help and knew just when to lunge in for an attack. I ducked as a massive branch, wielded by the vampire, swept above me. A smaller branch did nick my back, scraping a cut there, but I ignored it. However, the vampire's improvised club made purchase with one of the wolves, either Leah or Paul; I wasn't exactly sure, there were so many of them. They went flying through the air and landed with a sickening crunch nearly twenty feet back.

Sam let out a fierce growl and charged at the vampire. While he was distracted with Sam, Seth, me, and Nikki snuck up behind it. Seth managed to tackle him, and though the vampire struggled to get to his feet, keep him down. I grabbed hold of his forearm with my teeth and pulled. The sound of a vampire's ripping flesh and screams of agony filled the air. Seconds later Nikki did the same with the other arm, but only half came off. Now without hands to fight with, he seemed more like a killer worm than vampire. But this was no laughing matter. He finally managed to buck Seth off of his back and found the forearm that Nikki had torn off.

Now only fighting with one hand, he was slower, but somehow still efficient. He grabbed the scruff at the back of Nikki's neck and slammed her against a large tree trunk.

_Nikki! _ I screamed, anger searing through my veins. This thing wasn't going to get away with hurting my friends any longer. Apparently Embry thought the same, because after letting out a snarl he charged at the vampire. Being too preoccupied with fighting off two other wolves, the leech didn't have time to block Embry's attack. Embry sank his hind legs into the mud and launched himself in the air. His teeth sank into the vampire's neck and as they both slammed into the ground. With one swift maneuver, the vampire's head came off with a sickening ripping sound.

Immediately I phased and pulled out the lighter I had stored in my pocket. Embry tossed the vampire's head to the ground and I lit his hair on fire. Around me Sam's pack started to howl in victory. Jake helped Jared and Seth rip apart the vampire's body to pieces, tossing each of the parts towards me and Jason, where we fed the fire with them. The thick purple smoke was intoxicating as one of the wolves from behind brought me the arm I had tossed into the woods. I met Sam's eye and he nodded once. I sighed in relief, knowing that everything was finally over.


	11. Resolutions

**Hey everyone! So sorry for not having this up, but I couldn't seem to figure out an end to this chapter. I hope it's okay. Reviews and comments are always appreciated! =] Love you guys!**

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 11: Resolutions<p>

**Kali POV**

Once I made sure Jake, Seth, Jared, and Jason had burning the vampire under control, I rushed to Nikki's side. Her face was pale, but other than that she didn't look injured.

"Is anything broken?" I asked, crouching down beside Embry. Nikki took in a deep breath with closed eyes before opening then again.

"I…I think my shoulder may be. It's dislocated at the very least."

I nodded grimly, but stood knowing that she would be fine. We'd finally succeeded; the vampire was a smoking pile of ash. That thought gave me some comfort and reassurance that it wouldn't be hurting my friends any longer. I knew I would need to reset it, and the sooner the better, but I also knew she needed some time to recover slightly.

"Thank you."

I turned to see Sam, his hands at his sides but a small smile on his face. He had several scrapes on his arm and chest from the branches and the vampire, but they were quickly healing. A smile of my own spread over my lips and I stepped closer, offering him my hand.

"You're not too bad, Kali Daniels." Sam said as he shook my hand. "And you're the right girl for Seth."

I crossed my hands over my chest and jutted my hip out, but there was a grin on my lips.

"What makes you think I'm a girl?" I asked.

"You can't be any older than eighteen," Sam protested. I rolled my eyes.

"I'm twenty-five."

Sam shook his head. "I suppose it was ignorant of me to not assume your pack has the same abilities as mine."

I laughed and shook my head. "Not quite the same."

I gestured to his chest, where there was now a white line that was quickly fading in place of the cut he'd had moments before.

"That would be nice." I said, thinking about my own gash on my back. I could feel the dried blood on my skin and I had to admit the cut stung a little. I heard a deep chuckle come from behind me and turned to see Jake there. His dark brown eyes twinkled with humor as he grinned.

"Don't let it fool you. It's a curse as much as a gift."

"What do you mean?"

"If your bone is set wrong, but starts healing anyway, it can be painful to have them set right. Believe me, I know from experience." His grin faded a bit as he remembered the painful event he was speaking of. He was right, that did sound horrible. Just then Seth came up behind Jacob wearing a pair of cut-off shorts. He punched Jake in the arm and shook his head.

"Don't listen to him, Kali. Jake's just a big wuss."

I laughed and shook my head. I doubted that, after seeing him at work with the vampire today. Plus, I couldn't imagine anyone with that big of muscles and height ever being a weakling.

"Seth's just jealous because he'll never Imprint and he'll die an old lonely dog."

Seth and I shared a look and I laughed. Seth slid his arm around my shoulders.

"Actually, Jake, you're too late for that."

Jacob's eyebrows shot up and his eyes increased in sparkle.

"Oh really? And who could possibly deal with you the rest of her life?"

"I'm sure we'll figure it out," I said. Our conversation ran short as two of the La Push pack members came out from a thick grove of trees. One, Jared, I think, was practically pulling the other along with him. So it was Paul who'd been thrown back, not Leah. I saw Sam rush over immediately, along with Jacob, Seth, and Embry. I walked back to Nikki, who was still sitting against the large tree she'd been slammed against. Alex knelt down beside me as Lexi fretted over Jason, checking for any possible injuries. He allowed her to without a fuss, and then wrapped his arms around her once she'd finish. Lexi's shoulders slumped as she rested her cheek against Jason's shoulder.

Turning back to Nikki, I gave a weak smile. "You ready?"

She dug her nails into the muddy earth and nodded, gritting her teeth. "Just get it over with."

I felt her shoulder to be sure it was an anterior dislocation, and nodded to myself when I knew it was. Just as I'd started to bring her arm out, Embry joined us.

"You're doing it yourself?" He asked suspiciously, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

"I've done this before, Embry, relax. Would you rather she be in pain the rest of the day until we find Jon?"

"Or a doctor," he muttered. I sighed and ignored him as I concentrated on rotating Nikki's arm back into place. I was thankful when I succeeded on the first try. I knew I had by the way Nikki's body relaxed and she let out a sigh, sinking back against the tree trunk.

"Thanks, Kali. I hate when I have to do it myself."

I nodded. "Anytime. That is why Jon taught me, anyways."

She rolled her eyes and stood up, accepting the hand Embry offered her. I had a feeling they would have found a secluded spot to talk, but Sam barked an order and Embry had to follow it. Alex left to join Jason and Lexi, leaving Nikki and I alone. I gestured to a large boulder at the edge of the river and we both went to it, sitting down gratefully.

"So how's it going?" I asked, nodding towards Embry with my head. I swear I saw a light blush color Nikki's cheeks, but she turned to stare at the water.

"It's like….. I feel like I've known him forever, you know? Like somehow he's always been in my life and I just didn't know it until now. Which is ridiculous, because obviously, he hasn't, but—"

"Nikki," I interrupted her, and she looked over with questions in her eyes. "Don't try to rationalize it, you'll go crazy. I don't think Imprinting is meant to be understood, just accepted….embraced." I smiled as Seth's laughing face filled my mind. A smile pulled on the edges of Nikki's lips as she nodded and looked over at me.

"You're right. It's just so amazing, this feeling."

I nodded. "Now I know why Jason has always put up with Lexi. Because it's still worth it. Even if there are only a few good moments, everything is worth it." Nikki nodded.

"Yeah," she said, her voice distant.

"What are we going to do now?" She asked. I sighed and shook my head. I'd been trying to avoid that subject, but it loomed like an ominous black storm cloud that so often filled the Washington sky. What was going to happen now that we'd all got the vampire? Sam and his pack had the Cullens to help for the time being, which meant we were no longer needed. I smiled for Nikki's sake.

"We'll figure that one out when we come to it."

I started to slide off of the rock, and Nikki followed suit as she nodded. Silently we walked back to the group. Paul looked better now. He no longer had the huge, bloody gash stretching from his temple to his chin. Instead there was just dried blood on his face. His leg had also been set with available materials so that it would heal the proper way.

"Now what?" I directed my question at Sam, but it was Jacob who answered.

"Now we go back to the Cullens and tell them what happened."

"All of us?" Jason asked, glancing around at the mixture of Indian boys without any shirts, Leah Clearwater in her cut offs and tank top, and our own pack.

"Not quite," Sam said. He ordered half of his pack to go back to La Push and rest, leaving Paul, Jared, Embry, Seth, Leah, Quil, Jared, and himself. And my own pack, of course.

"C'mon," Jake said. "The Cullens will be waiting. We all phased back, Sam's pack into their standardized wolf form, and us into our motley crew of variety. Together we advanced and arrived not much later once again at the white house. The woman with the caramel-colored hair met us at the front door with a smile. She introduced herself to me and my pack as Esme.

Then we all went silently into the large living room. I kind of felt bad, since we all tracked mud onto the white title, but there was nothing I could do. None of us sat down, either as we were all still wet and splotched with mud.

"Took you guys long enough," said a familiar voice. Tristin entered the room moments later, maneuvering his crutches easily and followed by Jon. Alex immediately went over to him, an anxious look on her face.

"Should you be here? I thought you said you were –" Tristin shot her a look and Alex fell silent, rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She sighed and stuck to his side, hovering as he went to a chair and dropped into it. I knew his ribs had to be killing him from using the crutches, but I didn't say anything. I knew what it was like to be in his position, as I'd been there more than once. He'd rather hurt physically, than bruise his pride.

"I'm fine, baby. Stop worrying." We all knew he wasn't, but no one said anything. Just then the Cullens joined us, Carlisle and Esme first, followed by Alice, Jasper, and Edward. Edward was holding the hand of a beautiful woman with chocolate brown hair that flowed down to the middle of her back and golden eyes. The last person to enter the room was different. I could hear her heartbeat, though it wasn't the same as ours. Her hair matched that of Edward, and her eyes were like liquid chocolate. She went to Jacob's side immediately, and he wrapped an arm around her. He whispered something in her ear and she nodded, smiling up at him.

Silence stretched across the room a moment until I cleared my throat and asked, "So, what happens now?"

I'd been looking at Sam when I asked, but I didn't really care who answered. As it turned out Carlisle answered.

"We'll take care of the mate when she shows up." Okay, so that wasn't really an answer, but it was better than nothing. I nodded, a sadness coming over me. I glanced over at Seth. We'd be leaving soon, so what would happen with us? Would we go our separate ways? In order to avoid thinking further on that subject, I stepped closer to the mantle beside me and scanned all the pictures there.

"Please, make yourselves comfortable." Esme said, gesturing around the room with her hands. "Would any of you like something to eat or drink?"

I shook my head, continuing down the white stone mantle. The pictures were fascinating for some reason. They were just regular pictures, but there was something about them. One was of a couple; the girl had wavy, golden hair that was blowing a little behind her in what I assumed had to be wind and the guy had dark, curly hair. They were both laughing, the guy's dimples accented at the corner's of his mouth. Another thing they shared in common was their eyes; both were golden, though the girl's were a bit darker than the guy's.

"That's Emmett and Rosalie," a woman's bell-like voice said behind me. I turned my head to see the woman who'd been holding Edward's hand earlier. She smiled at me.

"I'm Bella," she said, holding out her alabaster colored hand. I reached over and took it, shaking it slightly. I couldn't help but smile back.

"Kali," I said.

"So are they part of your coven?" I asked, gesturing to the picture. Bella nodded.

"Yes. Their living by themselves at the moment, pretending to be newlyweds. They should join us again soon, though. What is that you're wearing?"

I laughed and explained PHAZE to her. Bella laughed.

"That's cool. Jon made it?"

"He's smarter than he looks," I said with a laugh. She smiled and nodded, wondering back over to Edward's side, where he wrapped an arm around her. I crossed the room to Tristin, where Alex was perched on the arm of his chair, her fingers intertwined with his. They both smiled as I approached and Alexis and I exchanged looks.

"I see you're all bright and shiny like new." I told Tristin jokingly. He made a face but couldn't hide he smile on his lips.

"You did it!" He exclaimed, holding up his left hand. I slapped my palm against it quickly in a high-five and nodded.

"Yeah, finally. Though we would have got him sooner with you helping. I don't know how they stand only having forces on the ground." I said, shaking my head. Not having Tristin _had_ been a disadvantage, but not a handicap, as we'd already proved. Still, it was nice to have my second in command by my side.

"Well, if _someone_ hadn't have been so stubborn…."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah. _I'm_ the stubborn one. Who was it that tried to sneak out three times?"

Tristin grinned, shrugging innocently with one shoulder—the side where his ribs weren't broken.

"You needed me."

"A lot of good you'd have done us. You really would have gotten killed if I'd let you fly. I couldn't compromise you like that. I need you to help keep all these wild kids in check." I said with a grin, gesturing towards Nikki with my head. Tristin laughed and rolled his own eyes.

"Right," he mumbled. Just then Seth came up beside me and met my eyes. I could tell he wanted to talk privately, and honestly I did too. So I left Tristin's side with a small wave and followed him out the back door. As we walked he took my hand in his and I smiled. I could never get tired of the feeling of his skin against mine. The only problem was, I didn't know how much time we would have together before we had to leave.


	12. This Isn't The End

**Hey everyone! Sorry it took me so long to write this chapter. Hopefully it won't take as long for the next, which will be the last. Hopefully you've liked the story, I'm sure Darvia loves you for it. Love you!**

**~Ouaysis.**

* * *

><p>Chapter 12: This Isn't Good-Bye<p>

**Kali POV**

The forest behind the Cullen's house was beautiful. Seth slipped my hand into his as we set a leisurely pace. I felt a little odd, walking around in just my swimsuit-like outfit. Seth was only wearing his cut off shorts, and not for the first time I noticed his defined muscles. But my mind was so full of everything that had happened in the past five hours it wasn't too hard to push that away and just focus on the moment. For all I knew, this could be the last time I'd see Seth in a long while. I didn't want to start on the unavoidable subject, so instead I asked about the Cullens.

"So who was the girl by Jake? Is she a vampire too?"

Seth looked over at me a moment, before turning back to the trees.

"That's Renesmee, Bella and Edward's daughter."

I frowned. "Daughter?"

Though I wasn't familiar with vampire laws of nature, I was certain they couldn't have children. They could make them, but it was my understanding that the practice was forbidden, or at least frowned upon.

"Yeah. Confusing, right?" Then he explained to me about Edward and Bella, how they'd met when she was still human.

"So she got pregnant while she was still human?" I asked in disbelief. I'd never heard of such a thing before. Seth laughed.

"Yup. She barely escaped death having Nessie, and then Edward changed her into a vampire. Creepy, I know. But you get used to it. That was a long time ago now."

I shook my head, trying to imagine that. "She's only half vampire, then?"

"That'd be correct. She drinks blood like them, but can also eat human food. And she has a heartbeat, as I'm sure you heard."

I nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that. That's crazy. So Jake Imprinted on her?"

"Exactly. It's a long story, and would take way too long to explain."

I laughed. "I'm not so sure I even _want_ to understand."

"True," Seth said with a laugh.

We lapsed into silence again, but after a few moments Seth stopped suddenly. He turned and took my other hand, rubbing his thumb along the back of it.

"Kali…." He started, and I knew where he was going. I sighed and nodded, not really wanting to go there but knowing I didn't have a choice.

"I know," I said quietly. "I'm going to miss you."

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you." Seth said, reaching up and framing half of my face with his hand.

"We'll manage," I reassured him, trying to be strong and not cry. I attempted a smile, but it turned out more of a grimace. "Jon will let me come visit often, and there's always email and phone."

"A phone would never do you justice, Kali."

I laughed, though there was nothing really funny about the moment. I rested my palm against his neck, rubbed my thumb over his burning skin.

"You, either."

Without warning he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me to his chest. His warm skin made mine tingle, and not just because it was so freakishly warm. He lowered his lips to mine and I closed my eyes, savoring the moment. His lips were warmer than normal, though I had expected that. I tilted my head, my lips moving with his. And in that moment I felt whole. Completely and utterly filled up, like nothing in the world mattered except for the man who held me. All too soon he pulled away, though I suspected several minutes had gone by. I smiled at him, meeting his brown-eyed gaze.

"I love you, Kali." He said with a smile. "I love you more than life itself, and I'll always be yours."

"I love you too," I said. I knew he meant it as much as I did. Our bond went beyond the normal limit of love. Imprinting was powerful stuff, after all. No matter what happened, whether rain or shine, Seth would be mine and I would be his. Nothing would ever change that.

"Kali! You in here? It's time to go!" Lexi's voice shattered our moment, but I didn't mind all that much. It had been the best fifteen minutes of my life. Sliding my hands from his shoulders, I intertwined our fingers and turned back towards the house. Halfway there we met Lexi, who had apparently been sent to search for us.

The minute she saw me she sent me an excited look like _what happened?_ though I could tell she'd already guessed. When I grinned and shrugged with one shoulder her own grin grew bigger.

"So, anything interesting happen while you were alone?" She asked, jerking up her eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and Seth chuckled.

"Why, you jealous?" He asked. Lexi snorted.

"Me? Never. Just thought I'd ask."

"Stop being nosy," I said, though I still smiled. I was pretty sure it would be stuck there for at least another twenty-four hours.

"I'm not!" She protested. Seth took in a long, drawn out breath and then let it out.

"Well, if you _must_ know," he said. "I've had a very pleasant past fifteen or so minutes, the last of which were the best. And Kali has a nice butt."

I couldn't help myself; I laughed. The look on Lexi's face was priceless. The fact that Seth had commented on my butt barely fazed me, though normally something like that would have made me blush majorly. I knew he had just said it for Lexi's benefit, if you could call it that.

"I'm sorry I ever asked." She muttered.

"You know what? I've had to live with you and Jason for years. Talk about a gag-fest."

She rolled her eyes just as we emerged from the forest. Everyone from my pack was waiting at the Cullens' front door. I resisted the urge to sigh, knowing that I would have to leave Seth.

"I'll give you two a minute." Lexi said, glaring playfully at Seth a moment before jogging away.

"Good-bye, Kali." Seth said, and I could see the sadness in his eyes. I nodded, biting my lip to fight off the tears spiking the back of my eyes.

"Good-bye, Seth." I forced the words out after a few seconds. Swallowing, I wrapped my arms around him in a hug. Seth returned it, and brushed his lips over my temple as he pulled away moments later.

Before I lost it completely, I stepped away, letting our hands separate. Even though I knew it wasn't the end, but only the beginning, I couldn't help but feel like I would never see him again. I knew I would, so that was ridiculous, but it'd been a long day. When I joined Nikki in the backseat of Jon's crossover, I knew she felt the same. I could tell by her sour expression that she wasn't so happy about leaving Embry, either.

"When do we leave?" Tristin asked the question I knew everyone was dying to know the answer to. Silence settled over all of us as Jon didn't respond right away.

"Sam said we were welcome to stay as long as we'd like, and I enjoy it here, but I've already got several new job prospects. We can't just stay here if we're needed elsewhere."

Though I knew he was right, I was far from excited to hear we'd be going somewhere else. Usually that was half the fun, roaming around the world. But I'd never had to leave someone I loved behind before.

I felt everyone looking at me, waiting for me to respond. I nodded.

"He's right," I said. "We can't neglect our duties. We'll leave tomorrow."

I figured it would be easier to sever the ties abruptly. If we stayed any longer, then we'd likely never leave. And we had to leave, as much as I didn't want to admit that. Everyone nodded, even Nikki. I already missed Seth, though it had barely been twenty minutes. I sighed. This year was going to be a long one.

That night I came out of the bathroom from a shower to see Nikki on my couch, holding one of the black and white decorative pillows against her chest. I sat down next to her as I towel dried my hair a bit. She looked over at me with dull eyes and sighed.

"This sucks," she said and I nodded in agreement.

"I know." I said. "But it's not the end of the world. We all have to go our separate ways, but we'll be together soon. You just have to remember that."

"It's not fair. Lexi and Alex get to stay with the loves of _their_ lives." She said with a huff.

"They didn't have their own packs," I reminded her gently, though I knew she didn't need reminding.

"I know," she said with a sad sigh. I stood up to hang my towel up and grab my hairbrush. As I did I remembered a conversation that we'd had back at home, before we'd come to Forks. A smile slowly spread over my lips.

"Hey, Nikki?" I asked, coming out of the bathroom.

"Yeah?"

"You remember that bet we made before coming to Forks?"

"Dang," she said with a small laugh. "I was hoping you'd forgotten about that."

"Nope. Not even a chance." I said, tossing the pillow from my bed at her. She caught it and put it on the couch beside her. Nikki sighed, but I noticed she looked a bit happier, which had been my hopes all along. I didn't really care that much about the bet.

"Well," I said. "Where's my money?"

Nikki rolled her eyes, but stood up and disappeared. A few moments later she came back and slapped a twenty dollar bill down in my flat palm. I grinned and she picked up a pillow, making to hit me with it. I dodged it just in time.

"Hey!" I protested, my muscles complaining as well. We rarely had a hard time disposing of a vampire, and my body certainly didn't appreciate the extra work I'd forced it to do. Nikki was grinning, so that made it okay.

"Come on," I told her, gesturing for her to follow me as I headed downstairs.

"Where are we going?"

"To the kitchen." I replied innocently. Nikki narrowed her eyes at me, which made me grin mischievously. Alex and Tristin were in the kitchen already when we got there. There was a glass in front of each of them, and a bottle of Jack Daniel's between them. We were all technically twenty-one or over, so Jon didn't care if we enjoyed a drink every once in a while. And I admit that after the day I'd had, a glass of Jack Daniel's didn't sound that bad. But I ignored the whiskey and went straight to the fridge.

"What are you two up to?" Tristin asked, apparently doubting my saint-like expression. I saw Nikki make a face as I stooped over in the fridge. Once I'd found the plastic container of tofu I was looking for, I grabbed it and stood up. Opening the lid, I saw that there was still half a container. Perfect.

"Lexi!" I shouted, sticking my head out of the doorway in order for her to hear me better. A few moments passed before I heard the sound of Lexi coming down the stairs.

"What?" She demanded, looking a little grumpy when she joined us in the kitchen. Judging by the way she was straightening her shirt as she walked in, I think it was safe to say her and Jason weren't just "watching a movie" in their room as she'd told Jon. I raised my eyebrows at her but then shook my head. I waved the container in my hand.

"I need your help." I said, grinning once again. She looked confused.

"Okay….but why?"

"Nikki and I had a bet….which she lost. And now she has to do whatever I want."

"Oh. But why do you have my tofu in your hand?" She paused. "You're going to make her eat it, aren't you?"

"Exactly."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Alright then."

She took the container and took the lid off, draining the water in the sink.

"Hey! Is no one going to defend me here?" Nikki protested, though I could tell from her smiling eyes that she was having as good of a time as the rest of us.

"Don't look at me," Tristin said. "I know how much you love to eat. I wouldn't want to get in the way of that. Your stomach might get mad."

"Oh ha ha," she said drily, rolling her eyes.

"Leave half of it plain," I instructed Lexi. "You can do whatever you want with the rest. Oh, and could you make one of those nasty-smelling green drink things? Nikki'll need something to wash it all down with." I said with a satisfied smirk at Nikki, who stuck her tongue out.

Lexi started on preparing the tofu and health drink, and when she was half way done Jason wandered into the kitchen.

"I thought you said you'd be right back?" He asked as he walked in. Lexi turned to him.

"I did, but Kali needed my help."

"I'm so glad to hear that Kali takes precedence over your boyfriend." He grumbled, but good-naturedly. He spotted the Jack Daniel's on the table and pulled a glass down from the cabinet.

"That's a great idea, actually." While he poured himself a glass, Nikki stared down at the plate of tofu in front of her with disgust.

"Done!" Lexi announced minutes later, setting a bowl down in front of Nikki along with a tall glass of her gross "natural" energy drink.

"Alright," I said and everyone turned to look at me except Nikki. "You have to eat all of the plain stuff, drink all of the energy crap, and eat at least half of the other tofu. In that order."

"I. Hate. You." She glared at me. I just grinned back. At least I'd gotten Seth and Embry out of our minds for almost an hour.

"You know you love me." I said with a laugh. Nikki sighed before picking up the fork and stabbing a piece of the tofu forcefully. Her upper lip curled up in disgust as she brought the fork to her mouth and slowly took the tofu off. We all watched as she chewed in revulsion.

"Ugh, this stuff is disgusting!" She said after half the plain tofu had been eaten. "Lexi how do you _stand_ this stuff?"

Lexi shrugged. "It's not _that_ bad. Besides, usually you don't eat it without flavoring it in some way. The other stuff will taste delicious, I promise."

I could tell Nikki was trying not to gag as she finished the last of the tofu and reached for the glass. She made a show of pinching her nose and tipping her head back in order to wolf down the drink in several gulps. Setting the cup down, she took a deep breath.

"Honestly, that is _nasty_. How does that taste good to you?" She demanded of Lexi.

"It doesn't," Lexi admitted.

"Then why do you drink it?"

Lexi shrugged again. "It's good for you."

"Oh, just eat the rest of it." I said.

"Easy for you to say," Nikki muttered as she pulled the bowl closer to her. After the first tentative bite she sighed.

"Alright, this isn't _as_ bad. But how can you call this delicious? Delicious is a big, juicy steak."

Lexi just shook her head. Five minutes more and Nikki had eaten half of the flavored tofu, and I said she could stop. She gasped dramatically.

"Thank God!"

"Here," Jason said with an amused smile. He handed her a glass of Jack Daniel's, which Nikki took and drained gratefully.

"See, at least _one_ of you is still sane." Nikki said, disappearing upstairs with a shake of her head. I laughed and shook my head as well.

As I got ready for bed I started to think of Seth. When would I see him again? Jon had said we had another client already, but hadn't said where. Would we stay in the States, or would we be going somewhere more exotic? Brazil, perhaps? They seemed to be having more vampires than usual lately. Sighing, I crawled into bed and turned off my bedside lamp. Whatever happened, I knew that Seth and I loved each other. And for now, that would have to be enough.


	13. First Light

**Hey guys! I FINALLY finished the last chapter! I'm SOOO sorry it took me so long to write, but I hope you like it. Thank you for reading this, and definitely check out Darvia, who I adopted this story from. I love you all more than the sun!**

**~Ouaysis.  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Chapter 13: First Light<p>

**Seth POV**

"Seth."

I looked up at the sound of Sam's voice. He gestured towards the door with his head.

"Can I talk to you?"

Nodding, I stood up. I wasn't so sure I wanted to have this conversation, but I knew that it was just as inevitable as the one with Kali had been. I already knew there was no way Kali and I could stay together, so why should Sam telling me I have to stay with the Pack hurt so much? Together we went into Sam and Emily's backyard. Once we were on the back porch, Sam stopped and looked up at the full moon shining in the sky. He leaned against the pillar a moment before turning to me.

"I'm sure you know why we're here."

I nodded and sighed, rubbing the back of my head.

"Kali," was my reply. Sam nodded as he angled his body towards me.

"I know, I know. I'm doing my best to stay focused, and we don't have any leeches right now."

"Seth," Sam said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "You should go."

"But—" I stopped when his words sank in. "Wait, what?"

I met his eyes, which were dead serious. He really was allowing me to leave. Just like that.

"Are you feeling okay?"

Sam chuckled and nodded, a grin spreading over his lips.

"Yeah. There are plenty of members in the pack to take care of any strays. I'm not going to be the one to keep you two apart. I told Embry to go as well, but he seems a bit hesitant to the idea."

That news shocked me nearly as much as the original had. He was giving both of us permission to leave? He must have been in a really good mood, or something.

"You're serious?" I asked, still not sure if this was a dream or reality. Sam nodded.

"Very. You've done a lot for this pack, Seth. You've done your job well. It's time to start the next adventure in your life. You get to stay with Kali, and continue ridding the world of bloodsuckers. It's a win-win."

I couldn't help but grin. It certainly was.

"Thank you." I told him solemnly. He just nodded.

"Now I suggest you go pack, because knowing Kali they'll probably leave at dawn."

I nodded and gave Sam a brief hug.

"Thank you." I said again, making him laugh.

"Go!"

"Goodbye, Sam. I'll see you again sometime. Maybe I'll even have some kids of my own."

He laughed again and waved as I launched myself over the porch railing and into the forest. I slowed down at the edge of trees and stripped, tying my clothes to my leg before bounding forward and phasing. I let out a bark of laughter. My joy made my run so much better; the cool air against my fur was invigorating, the loose dirt under my paws encouraging. I skidded to a halt on the outskirts of town and phased, pulling my clothes back on. I could see my small house, the light on in the kitchen. I ran the rest of the way there. Making sure to wipe my bare feet on the doormat before entering, I found Mom in the living room. Billy Black was there too. Both were holding a mug of the freshly brewed coffee I could smell coming from the kitchen.

"Mom," I said in excitement. "Guess what."

"Oh, there you are. I'd almost forgotten that I even had a son, much less that he lived here." There was humor in her tone and laughter in her eyes as she stood to hug me. I squeezed her against me a moment.

"What is it, Seth? I can tell you're about to burst." She said with a laugh. I grinned down at her.

"I'm leaving. With Kali." Of course she knew all about Kali, as I'd told her weeks ago. Suddenly a twinge of regret hit me; I'd never properly introduced them. I would make sure my mother and Kali officially met the first break we had. "Sam's given me permission to go with them."

I saw sadness in my mother's eyes, and I felt sad too, knowing it'd be a while before I'd see her again. But there was also happiness. She smiled at me.

"That's great, Seth!" She hugged me tight again. "I'm so proud of you, sweetie."

"Thanks, Mom." I said, hardly able to contain my grin. "Well, I'd better go pack. Kali doesn't know yet, and I'm not sure when they were planning on leaving."

Mom nodded and sat back down at her spot on the sofa. Billy smiled at me.

"Have fun, Seth. And don't be a stranger."

"I won't. Promise."

I went to my room and dug an old backpack out of my closet. As I packed, I realized just how little clothes I owned. I wondered if wherever we were going required more. With a shrug I tucked a wad of cash in a small zipper pocket. I could always by more if I needed. I had just finished when there was a knock on my bedroom door. Throwing my bag over a shoulder, I opened the door. Leah stood in the doorway. Just the sister I was looking for.

"I've been looking for you." I informed her. She just raised her eyebrows at me. Squeezing past, I managed to maneuver myself into the hallway. Leah trailed before me as I went to the front door. Once outside in the cool night air I stopped, Leah coming up on my right. I looked over at her. She stared up at the stars, a thoughtful look on her face.

"I haven't gotten to say congratulations yet." She said. "So….congrats. It doesn't surprise me that you Imprinted before me."

Her scowl deepened at the last comment.

"Hey," I said, reaching out and gripping her shoulders. Leah's eyes slowly came down to meet mine.

"You'll find someone. I know you will." I told her, believing it with my whole heart. She nodded, though I knew she didn't believe me. She never did when this subject came up.

"Anyways, you have to promise to go all lone wolf on me from time-to-time to visit. You can't do that if you Imprint, can you?" I managed to make Leah's lips pull up a fraction of a centimeter. It was a start, at least. She sighed and shook her head, stepping away so that I dropped my arms.

"How do you know I'll _want_ to visit you? It'll be so much better _not_ having my annoying baby brother follow me around everywhere."

"Excuse me," I protested. "It does not count when I'm ordered by Sam to stick to your side."

Leah actually let out a small chuckle. She looked down at the ground, her short black hair shining in the moonlight.

"Yeah, I guess."

We were both silent for a moment.

"I'm going to miss you, annoying as you are." She said suddenly. Leah looked up, a sad smile on her lips. I returned the smile tentatively and nodded.

"Ditto," I said as I pulled my sister into a hug. Leah's arms hung limply at her side.

"I do not approve of this." I could hear the scowl in her tone. I grinned and tightened my hold.

"I'm not letting go until you hug me back."

I heard a sigh escape and my sister finally put her arms around me briefly.

"There," she said, shoving me away. I made a face. I glanced at the stars, judging by their position that it was nearing four-thirty am.

"Well, I'd better get going."

Leah nodded. "Stay safe, okay?"

I snorted. "I laugh in the face of danger."

She rolled her eyes and gave a small wave before heading back inside. I was still smiling as I made my way back to the forest. Once under the cover of total blackness, I stripped and tied my clothes to my ankle again. I phased, then clenched the top strap of my backpack in my teeth. It was very odd, trying to run while a nearly-full bag was swinging in front of me, but I managed it. Not too soon I was in Forks. I got as close to Kali's house as possible before phasing and dressing. I even pulled on a pair of flip-flops, after digging them out of my backpack. I slipped one of the straps over my left shoulder before walking to Kali and her pack's rental home. I dropped my bag on the front porch before realizing that I had no idea what I was going to do. I didn't really feel like sitting on the front porch until someone woke up and let me in the house. So I did what any of us would have done. I broke in. I went to the back door in order to avoid any neighbors calling the police.

I felt a little bit like a creeper once I was inside. Shrugging, I took off my shoes to avoid making noise. Then I went off in search of Kali's room. I knew it wasn't downstairs from my one other time here, so I headed upstairs immediately. I winced went I stepped on a creaky stair, but no one burst from their room ready to ninja-chop me, so I guess I was okay. The first door I tried was locked. I tried not to think about what that might have meant and continued down the hall. The second revealed a sleeping Nikki, who was sprawled over her mattress, her head at an odd angle and her mouth open. I stifled a laugh and closed the door quietly. The third time must really be a charm, because the room next to Nikki's—the one I tried next—happened to be Kali's.

The door squeaked a bit when I pushed it open the rest of the way, but Kali didn't stir. She was apparently a lot calmer sleeper than Nikki, because her covers were still on and her head was on the pillow.

"Kali." I raised my voice a little, but not loud enough for anyone else to hear. She shifted a little, but otherwise didn't respond. Smiling, I walked over and sat on the edge of her bed. Kali moaned and rolled onto her side. Reaching out my hand, I put it gently on her exposed shoulder.

"Kali." I said again, shaking her a bit as I did. Her eyes opened and then fluttered closed again. I laughed softly. "Come on, wake up."

A frown wrinkled her face a moment. Then Kali opened her eyes and turned once more on to her back. She stared at me a moment, with those intense green eyes. Then she recognized me and smiled, pulling herself into a sitting position. The blanket fell to her waist and showed the turquoise tank top she wore. I smiled back at her. Kali unexpectedly threw her arms around me and I wrapped mine around her as well, closing my eyes and taking in the moment.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, sitting back and meeting my gaze. Her eyes flickered to her door, which stood ajar.

"Sam gave me permission to leave. I can come with you. If I'm wanted, that is."

I watched as Kali's eyes got wide at my news. Her face broke into a smile and she hugged me again.

"Of course I want you here!"

I laughed and nodded. "I thought as much."

"I can't believe this! What time is it?"

"Five o'clock." I said, checking her alarm clock. She nodded and pulled her covers away. Kali slid her legs out and scooted closer to me, sitting by my side. I stood, reaching for her hand and pulling her up as well.

"Come on."

"What?" She asked.

"I want to show you something before we leave. Get some shoes on and meet me downstairs."

"Um….okay." She said, slipping her hand out of mine and going to her closet.

When she came downstairs a few moments later, she'd pulled on a pair of jeans and a hoodie as well as a pair of flats. I reached for her hand and she automatically slid it into mine. I smiled.

"Ready?"

Kali nodded, so I led her out the back door. The air was a little crisp, but I didn't mind. It felt good against my burning skin. We'd entered the forest when Kali couldn't take it anymore.

"Where are we going?" She asked. I looked down at her.

"You'll have to wait and see."

Turning forward again, Kali let out a large sigh. I held back my smile and quickened my pace. Thirty minutes later, we were stepping out onto the eastern side of First Beach.

"What are we doing?"

"Shh," I said, holding up my hand. "Patience, my young grasshopper."

Kali rolled her eyes and I grinned at her. I led her over to a tree and sat down. Kali sat down in front of me and leaned against my chest, resting her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arms around her and looked out at the surf. The first rays of light were just starting to break through over the horizon. I glanced down at Kali and then back to the sky.

"My dad used to take me out here when I was a kid." I explained. "At first I'd hated when he dragged me out of bed at five in the morning every Sunday. But he insisted that it was important that I learn to appreciate the things around me. We'd come and sit by this tree, and wait for the sun to come up over the horizon.

"He said this was his favorite spot in the world, because he felt like the ocean could go on forever and ever. The way the sun hits the water when it first rises is magical. Dad used to call it first light, the time between the very first ray of sun and the sunrise. A time of complete calm, where all of Earth's creatures are at peace with each other, even if just for a moment."

"That's beautiful," Kali said quietly, looking up at me. I looked down and smiled.

"Of course that's not true, because on the other side of the equator it's just becoming night."

"But that's not the point. He was trying to teach you a lesson."

I nodded and laughed. "Yeah. And I definitely learned it. I've never seen anything more beautiful than the sunrise on First Beach. Except maybe you."

"Only maybe?" Kali asked, teasing. I shrugged.

"It's pretty hard to compete with the sun."

**Kali POV**

I was fairly certain my day couldn't get any better. We'd gotten the vampire and saved the day. And now, on top of that, Seth was coming with us! I couldn't wipe the smile from my face as I carried my bag downstairs. However, on my way back up I nearly ran into Nikki.

"Oh, sorry Nikki!" I said, sidestepping to avoid a collision. But then I halted and turned around. "How are you?"

Nikki turned a shrugged. Her black hair was down and covered her face like a curtain.

"I'm fine."

I went over to her and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh Nikki. I'm so sorry. But you can visit him soon, okay? I promise."

She forced a smile and nodded, shouldering her bag and going downstairs. I felt bad that I'd gotten my happy ending and she hadn't. Sighing, I checked to make sure everyone had their things before going back downstairs.

"Alright everyone," I said. "Seth and Nikki will be with me. Everyone else will go in Jon's highlander. And no, Tristin, you cannot come with me."

Tristin rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out. He took Alex's hand and went out the door with a grin. Lexi and Jason followed behind them, too lost in their own conversation to care much about anything. Shaking my head, I looked up at Seth, who had joined me. He smiled back, and it was like a ray of sunshine. I slipped my hand into his and led the way out the door. Nikki was already in the backseat, her arms crossed over her chest and earbuds in her ears.

"She okay?" Seth asked, concern lacing his tone. I glanced at her and then nodded.

"Yeah, in time. I can relate to how she feels. Until this morning, I thought I would have to leave without the love of my life, too."

Seth squeezed my hand before letting go and getting into the passenger seat. Pulling out my keys, I climbed into the driver's side. Jon had already programmed my GPS to lead me to our next destination, so I didn't worry about waiting for him. It was better to get going, so that Nikki would fall asleep in the back and not have to dwell on leaving Embry behind. I was just about to leave the Forks city limit when I caught a movement in the forest. It was just barely in my peripheral vision, and even then whatever it was kept moving. I figured it was just an animal and was going to ignore it when Seth gasped beside me.

"Is that—?" He asked, straining against his seatbelt. "Kali, stop the car!"

Too shocked to do anything but listen, I slammed on the brakes. And as I did, the thing in the forest slid to a halt as well. Two seconds later, a copper skinned, bare-chested Embry emerged from the trees. I heard Nikki gasp from the back seat. Next thing I knew she had flung the door open and was racing towards Embry. Seth and I got out as well, and I looked behind me to see Jon slowing to a stop. Nikki threw her arms around Embry, who smiled and returned the hug. A moment later the two approached me. Nikki was positively beaming, which was an odd thing to see Nikki do. But at the same time it was beautiful. Happiness spread over me like a warm bath.

"I want to come with you." Embry said, his breathing still a little deeper than normal.

I grinned and offered him my hand. Embry took it with his free hand, the other being occupied by Nikki's.

"Welcome to the pack, Embry."

I guess we both got our happily ever afters after all. I smiled. I couldn't think of a more better, more fitting end to such an odd yet perfect story. And what was there left to say? Nothing, except for two little words: the end.


End file.
